The Cabin in the Everfree Forest
by obsidianoverlord
Summary: The Cabin in the Woods with a little friendly twist. The mane six decide to go on a little camping trip in the Everfree Forest. They will stay in a Cabin, owned by Rainbow Dash's uncle. Why does Spike seem so upset? Why was the Apple Family called to Canterlot on the day of the trip? Why is the sky blue? Rated M for gore in later chapters. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1 Ignorance is Bliss

"No Spitfire, it's not possible." explained Soarin, retrieving a small paper cup from a stack on the counter. The light blue pegasus held his cup beneath a nozzle on the coffee machine and pressed a button on the side with a heavy hoof. A strange silence filled the room, turning the otherwise quiet humming of the fluorescent lights, and the soft bubbling of the coffee, into a thunderous display of sound. Spitfire's amber eyes shifted nervously, taking in every detail of the small break room as if to distract her from her own thoughts. She saw a few tables with chairs scattered haphazardly about, and a large refrigerator against the far wall. Several motivational posters were hung on the walls. She smiled briefly at a picture of a small filly with wide, hopeful eyes, dangling from a string, the caption beneath reading 'hang in there'. This picture in particular reminded her of a certain cyan pegasus.

"Such a shame. Rainbow Dash would have made a damn good addition to the Wonderbolts." admitted Spitfire, running a hoof through her fiery mane as the coffee machine finished distributing the dark, bubbling liquid into Soarin's waiting cup.

Soarin nodded in agreement, his dark blue mane bouncing slightly. "She's a regular Icarus that one. Always flying too close to the sun." The two wonderbolts exchanged halfhearted smiles, both remembering the old fable of the earth pony who had tried so hard to achieve his dreams, only to come crashing down to earth.

The two quickly left the break room, and entered a rather populated hallway. They weaved their way through crowds of well dressed ponies that flooded the corridors of the noisy office building. Soarin took care not to spill his coffee as he fought against a torrent of other ponies traveling in the opposite direction.

"Careful Soarin. Don't want to ruin your tie." teased Spitfire, noticing Soarin's predicament. The two pegasai had both abandoned their Wonderbolts suits, instead adorning sophisticated business attire. They both teased each other ceaselessly about it. Soarin rolled his bright green eyes at her comment, noticing that she had dressed her self in a manner that was no less fancy.

"You know I hate the dress code as much as you do, though it is nice to see you in a blouse and skirt." countered Soarin with a smirk as they passed by a large, gray room full of ponies seated at tables scribbling away on scrolls. Spitfire was about to reply, but was interrupted by an all too familiar voice.

"Spitfire, Soarin!" called the voice from somewhere behind them. The pair turned around to see Princess Cadence fighting her way through the flood of ponies. The pink alicorn was clad in a long white lab coat and was magically levitating a clipboard at eye level.

"The Froggy Bottom Bog operation has failed." explained Princess Cadence in a worried voice. She looked at the two pegasai expectantly.

"So what's new princess?" asked Spitfire rhetorically. Soarin took a sip of his coffee turning around and motioning for Spitfire to do the same. Princess Cadence was slightly taken aback but persisted.

"That means it's just us and Ghastly Gorge! You two need to take your jobs more seriously!" cried Cadence as she followed the two Wonderbolts through the slowly clearing hallways. Soarin rolled his eyes.

"I'm surprised you're worried about that, considering who the candidates are this year." Soarin started his ascent up a flight of stairs, Spitfire following him closely. This did very little to calm the princess. She stepped in front of the pair delaying their progress up the stairs.

"Wait, what do you mean?" questioned the princess curiously. The two pegasai exchanged uneasy looks before answering Cadence's question.

"I guess chem department isn't as well informed on who the candidates actually are." commented Spitfire. Soarin reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a folded slip of paper. Cadence levitated the paper out from between his teeth and unfolded it. Her violet eyes widened and her complexion became as white as chalk. She let the paper slowly fall to the floor, and her bottom jaw looked as if it would follow suit had it not been attached to her skull. She stared at the two, her mouth agape. It was as if the alicorn wanted to say something, to protest, but could not think of the right words to say.

"Ignorance is bliss they say." continued Spitfire in a rather sad tone. The pair made their way around princess Cadence, up the rest of the stairs and around a corner. The faint noise of someone sipping coffee could be heard. Tears started to form at the corner of the princesses eyes but she wiped them away with a trembling hoof before they had a chance to escape. It was going to be a long weekend.

* * *

The beauty of Luna's night gave way to the radiance of Celestia's day as the sun peaked over the eastern horizon of Equestria. Golden sunlight filled the land like honey being poured into a bowl. The bright sunlight permeated the bedroom of a small cottage situated on the edge of the Everfree forest. A cream colored pegasus opened her bedroom window to better admire the beautiful early morning sunshine. She stood at the window for a moment taking in her surroundings. Her chicken coop stood tall and proud, and the sound of the clucking hens was quickly drowned out by the loud call of a proud rooster as he greeted the newly risen sun. A small stream snaked its way across her property, and her ears perked up as she heard the playful splashing of several otters, taking an early morning swim. Squirrels and rabbits darted across the soft green grass and birds chirped captivating tunes from their leafy towers. Fluttershy became lost for a moment in her own perfect little world and began to hum along to the singing of the birds. It was pure bliss.

Eventually she was able to break out of the spell she had been under and prepare for the days ahead, though the humming didn't stop. For several minutes Fluttershy scampered about her bedroom packing various necessities into an open suitcase resting on her bed. Finally she took one last look inside the overflowing suitcase, making sure she hadn't forgotten to pack anything. A small smile graced her lips as she nodded in satisfaction and struggled momentarily to shut the suitcase. A small fluffy rabbit strolled casually into the bedroom, his normally stoic exterior instantly changing to one of anger as he eyed the black suitcase resting on the bed. He crossed his arms, tapped his foot against the wooden floor repeatedly, and stared at the cream colored pegasus expectantly. Fluttershy shrank back a bit, retreating behind her long pink mane, as if to hide from the rabbits harsh stare.

"I thought I told you already Angel. I'm going with my friends to a cabin in the Everfree Forest for the weekend... that is, if it's not too much trouble." explained Fluttershy in a delicate voice barely above a whisper. Angel smirked at her explanation and rolled his beady little eyes in disbelief.

"I've gone into the forest before Angel, and it wasn't that scary. And I'll have all my friends with me, so I'll be fine." said the pegasus trying to convince the rabbit she was up to the task. Angel looked at Fluttershy critically, then shrugged and hopped out of the room. Fluttershy followed him out of her bedroom, her admittedly heavy suitcase in tow. As she finally reached the first story of her cottage, there came several polite knocks at her front door. Fluttershy set her suitcase at the foot of the stairs and took several cautious steps forward, though by the delicate, lady like knocking, the shy pegasus already knew who it was behind the door. Fluttershy gently opened the door, her suspicions confirmed.

Rarity stood there, her white coat, and violet mane gleaming in the early morning sunlight. Two massive travel bags with white, flowery patterns sat on either side of her, each easily dwarfing Fluttershy's simple black suitcase. The pale unicorn smiled at Fluttershy, her sapphire eyes sparkling brilliantly.

"Hello Rarity." greeted Fluttershy, her voice as gentle and warm as a sweet summer breeze.

"Hello darling. Notice anything different?" asked Rarity eagerly. Fluttershy looked the unicorn over carefully but couldn't see any deviations from Rarity's normal appearance. She stared at Rarity with a puzzled look. Rarity's smile dwindled, her confidence wavering.

"Are you sure you don't notice anything darling?" urged Rarity, waving a shaky hoof towards Fluttershy repeatedly. Fluttershy quickly caught on as the scent of the unicorns new perfume was wafted towards her. Fluttershy smiled lightly as the smell of cherry blossoms danced across her nose.

"Oh Rarity, that smells lovely." complimented Fluttershy. Her comment was punctuated by Angel joining Fluttershy at the doorway and sniffing the air eagerly. The two giggled at the rabbit's antics, as Fluttershy welcomed Rarity in. Rarity's two travel bags were granted a pale blue outline as they were both levitated into the cottage by Rarity's magic. She set them near the foot of the stairs next to Fluttershy's bag. Rarity made her way to a small wooden table with a pair of seats set against the far wall, treading carefully so as not to step on the numerous animals darting across the floor and into their respective dwellings. Angel quietly scampered off, apparently bored with the situation.

"Goodness Rarity, you certainly don't travel light." commented Fluttershy taking note of the size of Rarity's bags as the pegasus followed the unicorn to the table. Rarity gave her a surprised look which made the shy pegasus stare intently at the floor and shift her right front leg awkwardly from side to side.

"Oh, I didn't mean to offend. It just looks like an awful lot to bring on our short trip." explained Fluttershy quickly in a panic stricken voice. Rarity shook her head and took a seat at the circular table.

"Well, fortune favors the prepared after all darling." replied the white unicorn with a light smile. Fluttershy smiled in return and nodded knowingly as she took a seat on the opposite chair.

"The others will be here soon." explained Rarity quickly changing the subject. "Well, except for dear Applejack." Rarity continued, a hint of disappointment lacing her voice.

"Oh dear. Why ever not?" questioned Fluttershy sadly, her ears drooping slightly. Sympathy for the saddened pegasus washed over Rarity, her face adopting a sorrowful expression. The unicorn reached across the table and placed her hoof on Fluttershy's.

"I'm told that Princess Celestia personally requested the presence of the apple family in Canterlot. Even Applejack's cousin Braeburn was asked to go." explained Rarity. It was rather strange, though not unheard of, for Celestia to personally request the presence of specific ponies on such short notice. Typically such a request arose from a matter of great importance, such as the awakening of Discord. Whatever it was, it probably wasn't an invitation to have a casual spot of tea.

"Well, it must be important. I just wish she could have come with us." said Fluttershy, giving life to her thoughts. Rarity nodded in agreement and sighed as a heavy silence filled the small cottage.

"Yeah, but on the plus side, AJ gave us an entire barrel of Apple Family Cider for the trip!" exclaimed an enthusiastic voice from an open window. The abruptness and sheer volume of said voice cut through the pressing silence with ease, startling the pair of ponies seated at the table. Fluttershy gave a small yelp of surprise and Rarity frowned slightly at the voice. A cyan colored pegasus stuck her rainbow maned head through the window and smirked at the two ponies. Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief and smiled brightly at her friends arrival.

"Hello Rainbow Dash." greeted Fluttershy quietly.

"Hiya guys. Ready to go?" asked Rainbow Dash eagerly, leaning a foreleg on the window sill. Rarity rose from her seat and made her way across the living room towards the open window.

"Darling, haven't you ever heard of using a door?" asked Rarity with a roll of her eyes.

"Haven't you ever heard of the 'more is less' theory when it comes to perfume?" replied Rainbow Dash waving a hoof in front of her nose. Rarity narrowed her eyes at Rainbow's comment but otherwise remained silent. "Anyway, hurry up, we're all out here waiting for you two." continued Rainbow Dash, oblivious to Rarity's harsh stare. And with a wink of her rose colored eye, the rainbow maned pegasus dashed off out of sight. Rarity sighed and levitated her bags towards the door. Fluttershy trotted over to her own bag and clenched her teeth around the handle. She tried desperately to drag the heavy bag towards the door, gaining only a few feet for all her efforts. Rarity's magic enveloped the wooden front door and swung it open revealing Rainbow Dash and a purple unicorn with a dark, neatly groomed mane and a warm smile. They were waiting patiently, or impatiently in Rainbow Dash's case, by the side of the road.

"Hello Fluttershy. Hello Rarity." greeted the purple unicorn, waving her hoof at them. She, being a rather observant unicorn, quickly noticed Fluttershy's predicament as the poor pegasus tried desperately to carry her heavy suitcase. "Here, let me help you with that." she offered, pointing to the luggage. Her horn ignited in a purple aura of magical energy and Fluttershy's luggage was fluidly and effortlessly lifted into the air and brought down by the side of the road. Rarity's two bulging travel bags quickly joined Fluttershy's suitcase.

"Thanks Twilight." panted Fluttershy, wiping away a light perspiration forming around her brow. Twilight smiled brightly as Rarity and Fluttershy joined her and Rainbow Dash by the side of the road.

"Sure Fluttershy. What are friends for?" said Twilight, brushing off the gesture as if it was nothing. The two smiled at each other happily.

"Alright, enough with the pleasantries. There's a carriage waiting for us just down the road. Let's go!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash impatiently. Fluttershy smiled apologetically while Rarity rolled her eyes, a habit the alabaster unicorn was rapidly forming through overexposure to a certain rainbow maned, sky blue pegasus.

Suddenly there came a light tugging on Fluttershy's tail. The yellow pegasus froze in place, her face twisting into one of nervousness. The other ponies took notice of the fear in her eyes and grew curious. Fluttershy quickly glanced behind her. Angel was holding onto her tail, a frown plastered onto his face. However, there was something strange about the rabbit's frowning. It wasn't a frown of annoyance like the one he usually wore. It was a frown of sadness. Fluttershy smiled softly and nuzzled the tiny creature. Rainbow Dash let loose an exasperated sigh of annoyance at the delay.

"Don't worry Angel, I'll be back before you know it." cooed Fluttershy in a reassuring tone. The rabbit seemed unconvinced and gripped the yellow pegasus' right front leg tightly, burying his little face in her soft coat. Fluttershy began to stroke the rabbit softly. Slowly Angel's frown turned into a hopeful smile, and he began to relinquish the mare from his vice like grip. Twilight put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder.

"Spike said he'd be glad to watch the animals while you're away. Angel doesn't have to worry about a thing." explained Twilight confidently. The rabbit in question hugged Fluttershy's leg tightly then quickly darted off towards the tiny cottage.

"Goodbye Angel! Be good for Spike! I'll see you soon!" called Fluttershy, waving a hoof towards the rabbit as his tiny white figure disappeared into the cottage. Rainbow Dash tapped her hoof impatiently against the dirt road.

After taking one last look at her home, Fluttershy and the other three mares finally started their trek down the dirt path, their luggage following closely behind thanks to Twilight's magic. The loose ground shifted beneath their hooves, and several audible noises of disgust escaped Rarity's lips as dust, disturbed by their hoof steps, rose around them. The trees lining the road danced slowly in the wind. Several blue jays and robins whistled a delightful tune, singing their goodbyes to the departing group. Fluttershy waved at the birds as she passed by them.

"So, are you all as excited as I am?!" questioned Rainbow Dash eagerly. Twilight smiled broadly and nodded in response while Fluttershy gently tilted her head up and down. Rarity on the other hoof scoffed loudly.

"As if anyone could be as excited as you about anything Rainbow Dash." countered Rarity with a smirk. Rarity's comment was followed by several loud popping noises, as if some unseen giant was squeezing a large roll of bubble wrap. Multicolored confetti sprayed the air and showered down upon the four ponies. The torrential downpour of colored paper was soon followed by high pitched fits of bubbly laughter.

"Then again..." said Rarity weakly.

"I'm Pinkie Pie! I'm Pinkie Pie! And I'm just tickled pink! Excited about everything, yes even the kitchen sink! And now I get to see my friends and laugh until I'm sore! We'll laugh so hard our sides will split like they've never split before!" sang a voice that seemed to echo all around the group of ponies. Suddenly a pink blur rocketed from a treetop, landing a few feet away. A cloud of dust formed around them as debris from the powerful impact was sent into the air. Once the dust cleared, the four ponies could see a pink pony standing on her hind legs in the center of a small crater. A large pink suitcase rested behind her and brown saddle bags were strapped to her sides. Her chest moved rhythmically as she panted lightly. Her large toothy smile, brilliantly blue eyes, and wild mane contained enough happiness and cheer to fill the world.

"Nice entrance Pinkie Pie!" laughed Rainbow Dash, confetti cascading down her mane as she made her way over to Pinkie Pie and extended her hoof. "Now give me some hoof." encouraged Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie returned her front hooves to the ground and arched an eye brow at the cyan colored pegasus.

"How can I give you my hooves if they're attached to me?" asked Pinkie Pie, genuinely confused. Rainbow's mouth hung open slightly, dumbstruck at the display of blissful ignorance.

"I mean, I suppose I could remove them, but I think that would probably hurt. And what would you want with my hooves anyway?" continued Pinkie Pie, raising a hoof to her chin as if deep in thought. Rainbow Dash face hoofed then shook her head in defeat as the other three ponies, choosing to either ignore or accept Pinkie's strange nature, came to join the two. They all engaged in a group hug that was lightly sprinkled with wide smiles, cheerful greetings, and of course, confetti. The group of ponies quickly continued their trot down the dirt walkway. Pinkie Pie's suitcase joined the rest of the luggage in Twilight's violet levitation field.

"Hold your... umm, horses? Where's Applejack?!" cried Pinkie Pie suddenly, noticing for the first time, the absence of a certain workhorse. Fluttershy frowned.

"Unfortunately Applejack couldn't make it. I got a letter from princess Celestia requesting the presence of Applejack and her family in Canterlot today. But I hear from Rainbow Dash that Applejack has generously given us an entire barrel of..." Twilight was cut off by Rainbow Dash, who quickly pulled the purple unicorn aside, whispering something about not wanting to tell Pinkie Pie about the barrel of Apple Family cider. Or at least that's what Pinkie Pie overheard.

"Oh well, a party is still a party, even if there are only five ponies there. Oh we're gonna' have so much fun! I packed all my typical party supplies! Punch, cupcakes, regular cakes, candy, balloons, party games, confetti. Oh, and streamers!" yelled Pinkie Pie, her voice containing all the ferocity and excitement of a firework. She bounced down the road as eccentricity pulsed through her pink body.

"Streamers?" asked Rarity, confusion lacing her regal voice. Pinkie Pie nodded happily, her smile growing larger by the second. Even in a cabin in the middle of a forest as infamous as the Everfree forest, Pinkie Pie would celebrate just as readily as if she were in the middle of Ponyville.

The group soon came upon an interesting sight. Just off in the distance sat an immaculate, horseless carriage. The wheels were white and had numerous spokes. The carriage itself was the color of lavender with what appeared to be golden vines growing along the sides. Priceless gems of every size, shape, and color, dotted the carriage.

"There she is. The pride of Canterlot engineering. I give you Equestria's first magic operated carriage." said Twilight extending a hoof proudly towards the carriage. The groups eyes widened with varying levels of excitement as they marveled at the beautiful craftsmanship of the carriage.

"It, um, certainly is beautiful." said Fluttershy. She glanced at the ground as though she were ashamed at stating her own opinion.

"Yes, it would seem Canterlot spared no expense in the exquisite design." agreed Rarity, a tone of longing lacing her voice. She looked over the carriage enviously, her eyes shifting to every glittering jewel.

"With minimal effort on my part, I guarantee we will be at the cabin shortly." stated Twilight confidently. Rainbow Dash eyed the purple unicorn skeptically.

"Oh yeah, well I could be at my uncle's cabin in ten seconds flat if I didn't have to stick around with you slow pokes." challenged Rainbow Dash, putting a hoof to her chest and smirking. Her wings unfurled proudly as she performed several stretches, tilting her head from side to side. Fluttershy cringed and Rarity's eyes involuntarily rolled around in their sockets as several audible pops came from the sky blue pegasus' neck.

Suddenly a door on the side of the carriage swung open and a small purple dragon, with green spines cascading down his scaly back, emerged from within. He landed on the soft grass with a gentle bump and began twiddling his razor sharp claws, glancing sideways nervously. Upon spotting the ponies a strange look fell over his face. His pupils widened, nearly blocking out his emerald green iris', and his brow wrinkled as if he was deeply worried about something.

"Hello Spike. Came to see us off?" asked Twilight as the group drew nearer to the carriage. Spike's gaze fell to the ground and his entire body shivered. His claws continued their incessant twiddling and were seemingly beyond the young dragon's control. A small frown befell his face and he nodded quickly in response. As he did so, a massive gray cloud drifted through the sky, stifling the warm radiance of the morning light. The land had considerably darkened as the cloud eclipsed Celestia's sun.

"Yeah, something like that. Um, Twilight?" questioned Spike in a shaky voice that would rival even Fluttershy's. He lifted his head slowly, as if it were made of lead. His emerald eyes, filled with worry, met her amethyst ones, but he quickly looked away as if the brief moment of eye contact had greatly pained him. The purple mare closed the remaining distance between them. She put her front hooves around the small dragon in a comforting embrace. He quickly returned the embrace, tears threatening to escape his tightly shut eyes.

Rarity put a hoof to her chest, letting loose a drawn out "Awww." Fluttershy smiled softly, her eyes moistening ever so slightly. Pinkie Pie, barely noticing the tender moment, continued to bounce in place, unable to contain her excitement at the upcoming chance to party. Rainbow Dash looked rather unamused, but wasn't about to complain about the new delay.

"Don't you worry Spike." cooed Twilight, her voice taking on a motherly tone. "I'll be back before you know it." Her normally reassuring voice did little to comfort the young dragon. Even so, he glanced up at the purple unicorn as a single tear rolled down his scaly cheek.

"Just please be safe. Everypony please be safe." he begged desperately, wiping his tear away. Spike's gaze shifted from pony to pony with every word. The mares all exchanged glances before confidently nodding in unison.

"It's okay Spike! Auntie Pinkie will protect everypony!" shouted Pinkie Pie, standing on her hind hooves and flashing them all a brilliant smile. The group offered several lighthearted chuckles, with the exception of Spike who still seemed rather unconvinced as he ran the tip of his spiked tail through his claws nervously.

"I'll... I mean, we'll all be extra careful." stammered Fluttershy, Spike's concern increasing her own. The cream colored pegasus shifted uneasily on her hooves, which were now shaking rather violently.

"Yeah, and if anything goes wrong I'll be there to save everypony." bragged Rainbow Dash, her face lighting up at the thought of showing off her skills.

"Honestly darling, there's no reason to fret. We'll be back in Ponyville on Monday afternoon." said Rarity in a voice she hoped was comforting. Spike caught Rarity's eyes, dazzling sapphires taking in all the light and beauty around them, his own eyes glowing with longing. His heart wanted to believe her, but his mind knew it was all a lie.

The mares quickly surrounded the little dragon and engaged in another group hug, albeit a much tighter one than before, with Spike at the epicenter struggling for air. A beam of light pierced through the clouds to shine down on the group of friends, and for a moment Spike allowed a small smile to split across his face. Twilight leaned down and planted a small kiss on the dragon's scaly cheek. Spike's smile widened ever so slightly.

"Goodbye Spike. I love you." said Twilight as the group hug gradually dispersed. The ponies began to board the horseless carriage, much to Rainbow Dash's relief. Twilight loaded the luggage into the back of the carriage, right next to Applejack's generously gifted barrel of Apple Family cider. The studious unicorn took one last look at the baby dragon, who had resumed twiddling his claws nervously, before boarding the carriage herself.

"Twilight wait!" yelled Spike urgently, his arms stretched towards her. The unicorn paused, a look of confusion plastered on her face. Spike stood there in silence for what felt like hours, though really only a few moments had passed. His mind was an intense whirlwind of "what if's" and "why not's". He wanted to tell his best friend not to go on the trip. He wished he could warn her of the horrors to come. More than anything he longed for her and the others to remain by his side. But not everyone can have what they want.

"I love you too. Goodbye Twilight." he said weakly, giving up on the thoughts of what could have been, and accepting the fate that had befallen him and his friends. His face instantly darkened, his emerald gaze descending to the ground. The small bit of sunlight that had momentarily pierced the thick veil of clouds was once again eclipsed by the cruel, overcast skies. Twilight smiled encouragingly at the dragon and waved before closing the door behind her. The outline of the horseless carriage began to glow a faint purple color as Twilight's magic surged through it. The wheels slowly began to spin, the carriage suddenly lurching forward. The carriage swiftly made it's way over a distant hill and out of sight, heading in the direction of the Everfree Forest.

It was all Spike could do to stand there. His whole mouth felt dry and scratchy as it hung open slightly and his eyes began to sting. He consciously had to remind himself to blink and breathe, his mind too overwhelmed with shock to even remember those most basic of bodily functions.

The baby dragon shook his heavy head, as if to clear his mind of some horrible thought, and made his way over to the treeline of the Everfree Forest. He silently traveled North through soft, ankle deep grass, growing along the treeline, his small legs seeming to move of their own accord.

Spike's slow stroll came to a stop as he arrived at a dead tree. Though all the trees in the Everfree Forest were terrifying and ominous in their own rights, this particular tree that spike now rested his left hand on was on another level. This tree was an abomination of splintered, rotting wood and decay. It's bark, withered and black, hung in loose strips, and it's many leafless branches were more twisted than the darkest recesses of Tartarus. The purple dragon seriously doubted that the evil looking thing had ever been alive.

Spike ran a claw down the lower part of the trunk, his eyes darting across the rotting surface. He began to travel around the base of the tree, his keen eyes carefully scanning the bark. Finally he found it, a small button on the tree made to look and feel exactly like part of the tree itself. Spike quickly pushed the button and took a small step back. Part of the wood peeled away, revealing several rolls of parchment, a few vials of dark ink, and a couple of eagle feather quills.

Spike unrolled one of the blank scrolls, uncorked a vial of black ink, and dipped the quill in. He paused briefly, gathering his thoughts, then quickly scribbled something on the scroll. His eyes were blurred with tears and his hands were shaky, but after a few moments Spike was as satisfied with his work as he was going to be, given the sinister circumstances. Spike rolled the parchment up and tied it off with a bit of string. The dragon then held the finished product aloft, gently exhaling green flames. The fire quickly ate away at the paper, turning it into a cloud of pale smoke. The haze that had once been a scroll quickly drifted into the Everfree Forest, carried by a nonexistent wind. Spike sighed heavily. It was going to be a long weekend.


	2. Chapter 2 Knowledge is Pain

Shining Armor began to pace around the darkened room, mostly due to boredom. Being the captain of the Royal Guard in Canterlot, the pale unicorn hadn't actually done much guard work in quite a while, and so was unaccustomed to just standing around and doing nothing. It still amazed him to this day how disciplined some of the Royal Guards were. To just stand there, perfectly still, no matter the outside interference was a feat that Shining Armor knew he would never be able to accomplish. He shook his head, his dark blue mane drooping past his icy blue eyes, and smiled lightly. He should probably be proud of his men and their unrivaled discipline. It certainly made his job easier. But none of that had anything to do with his current assignment.

The white stallion began to study the layout of the room, a good thing to know in case of emergency. The walls were populated by various monitors and lights, that were currently turned off. There was a long desk in the middle of the room with several chairs placed around it. On the desk sat a large motherboard with several buttons and levers scattered across it's surface in no particular pattern. Just behind him was a wall with six little wooden doors reminiscent of kitchen cabinets. The doors seemed a little out of place in the room where everything else was metal. If Shining Armor was forced to choose a single color to describe the strange metal control room, he would have to nominate gray. The only entrance to the room was a very large, and very thick metal door, which was currently closed and locked up tight. Nothing was getting in without first obtaining the consent of Shining Armor.

As if the universe were reading his inner thoughts, suddenly several knocks on the large door rang about the room. Shining Armor's horn grew brighter as it was engulfed by blue arcane energy. He squinted his eyes and gritted his teeth in concentration. The heavy door offered a groan of protest as it was pulled open slightly by the unicorns magic. When he opened his eyes, Shining Armor saw two pegasai squeezing through the small opening he had made. One, the male, was light blue with a dark blue mane and lime green eyes. He carried a half empty cup of coffee with him. The other, the female, was a deep shade of yellow with a fiery mane and amber eyes. Both were clothed in formal business attire and both wore faces of boredom. Shining Armor moved towards the pair.

"Identification please." said the unicorn in a serious voice. After the messy affair of his own wedding, caused by the changelings, creatures that could assume the form of anypony, Shining Armor had learned to be extra cautious. Both of the pegasai reached for their identification cards and offered them to the unicorn stallion who levitated them in front of his face briefly before returning them.

"Sir Soarin. Lady Spitfire." he acknowledged them politely with a nod of his head.

"What's your name?" asked Spitfire abruptly, not even bothering to look at Shining Armor as she and Soarin went about the room flipping switches and pressing buttons. Several monitors hummed to life and the lights offered several blinks before turning on fully, as if yawning after awaking from a deep slumber.

"Shining Armor my lady." answered the pale unicorn quickly.

"Well Shining Armor, you can drop the "sir" and "lady" nonsense. This isn't the royal guard." stated Spitfire rather rudely. Soarin set his coffee on the desk in the center of the room and made his way over to Shining Armor, nudging him in the side.

"Besides, she's the furthest thing from a lady." whispered Soarin with a sly smirk and a wink. Shining Armor offered up a weak smile. If Spitfire had heard Soarin's comment, she ignored it, taking a seat on one of the chairs. Just then a thick cloud of smoke issued from a ventilation shaft, and made it's way to Soarin. The cloud hung in mid air for a moment before turning into a roll of parchment with a small pop. Soarin caught the paper in between his teeth and laid it on the desk.

"That must be Spike." said Spitfire not even bothering to look up. Soarin unrolled the scroll and skimmed the contents briefly. Sorin was quick to notice the sloppy penmanship of the tear streaked letter. Whoever wrote this was clearly upset.

_Harmony has left, and I understand that the Apples will be in the stables soon. I did as was instructed, lacing the cherry blossom perfume, and the cider with the potion provided by the Harbinger and Chem Department. The spells I cast on the carriage should last for several days, enough time for you to keep an eye on them until Disharmony is appeased. _

-_Spike._

"Spike? I didn't know he worked here." said Shining Armor, arching an eyebrow in a confused manner.

"Yes, both of you were specifically requested to be here for this years operation." explained Soarin. This only added to Shining Armor's confusion. Why had he and Spike's presence been requested, and by whom? Perhaps Princess Celestia had desired their presence.

"By the way, are you prepared for this?" asked Spitfire a tone of doubtfulness clearly held within her voice. Her amber eyes traveled up and down the figure of the captain, her face holding a look of skepticism.

"I've been prepped. Extensively." said Shining Armor with a nod. Spitfire rolled her eyes and sighed. She seemed thoroughly unconvinced by the unicorn's words.

"Don't worry. They told me what to expect." added Shining Armor, more forcefully this time.

"They didn't tell you everything." retorted Spitfire, clearly unimpressed. The Wonderbolt turned in her chair and continued to fiddle around with the many buttons and switches on the motherboard. It was going to be a long weekend.

* * *

"Why does she want all of us to go, Applejack?" complained a light yellow filly with a large, crimson bow perched atop her red mane. The filly was trotting down a cobblestone street, keeping pace with four other ponies, their cutie marks, apple themed. The street the group traveled down was lined with fancy shops and restaurants, frequented by the upper class of Canterlot society. Thick iron lamp posts were strategically placed along the roadside and numerous benches sat against the walls, offering pleasant seats for the weary. Extravagantly dressed unicorns gracefully made their way about the bustling city, some sparing disapproving glances at the five simple earth ponies. Still others seemed too wrapped up in their own pompous sophistication to even acknowledge the existence of the common earth ponies.

"Applebloom, there'll be no complainin' on this trip, ya hear." answered Applejack, an orange mare with a blonde mane tied off at the end with a red ribbon. Applejack lowered her freckled face towards Applebloom, smiling widely as she did, her stetson hat nearly falling past her emerald eyes. "We were summoned by Princess Celestia herself after all. Ain't that right Big McIntosh?" continued the mare, pushing her hat to a more comfortable position atop her head.

"Eeyup." agreed an enormous red stallion with an unkempt orange mane. The gentle giant was leading the group through a sea of hushed tones and eyes narrowed in suspicion. He wore a massive yoke around his neck, though he moved with unexpected ease that suggested the added weight of the yoke went unnoticed by the muscular stallion. His eyelids hung open only slightly, giving one the impression that Big McIntosh was uninterested with the world around him. He causally chewed on a sprig of wheat, his calm, green eyes focused on the path in front of him.

"Granny, wake up. This ain't no time to be sleep walkin'." said a voice from somewhere behind. A golden stallion with a free flowing blonde mane, clad in a leather vest and matching cowboy hat, gently nudged an elderly, light green mare with his hoof. The mare's eyes jolted open at the stallion's soft touch and quickly darted around in all directions, her blurred gaze finally settling on the disturbance of her slumber.

"Well howdy there Braeburn. What brings y'all to Sweet Apple Acres?" asked Granny Smith in a surprised but happy voice. She blew a stray strand of silvery hair away from her face and smiled warmly. The other four ponies all exchanged uneasy looks.

"Uh, Granny. We're on our way to see the princess. Braeburn met up with us at the train station earlier." explained Applejack. Granny's eyes widened as she finally took in her surroundings. Instead of the familiar setting of the peaceful apple orchard back home, the majestic spires and immaculate architecture of Canterlot greeted her aging eyes.

"Shoot, I'd forget my own mane if it weren't attached to my head." muttered Granny Smith, a little disappointed at her own inability to remember rather significant events in her life. She pulled her orange shawl tighter around her hunched form as the group continued their journey.

The group of earth ponies followed the winding cobblestone streets of Canterlot like rats in a maze, the previous metaphor holding more meaning than they could ever possibly know. Big McIntosh's bored expression was fixated on the path ahead as he chewed ceaselessly on the sprig of wheat hanging from his lips. Luckily, the castle was visible from almost anywhere in the city, making it easy for the Apple family to navigate through the labyrinth of unnecessary luxury and refined taste. Within a few minutes they were crossing the wooden drawbridge of the royal palace. The Apple family were honest, hard working folk who thought of the rich, snobbish unicorns and pegasai of Canterlot as... well rich and snobbish. But even the Apple family was, admittedly humbled by the beauty of the royal palace, and the surrounding gardens.

White and purple towers stretched towards the clear blue sky, while golden sunlight reflected off of the many windows that dotted the massive structure, making it appear as though it were glowing with an otherworldly radiance. The freshly trimmed lawns of the castle gardens were of perfect length and color. Exotic flora blossomed fourth from every nook and cranny. Numerous fountains brought fourth crystal clear water through which sunlight traveled with ease, casting shimmering rainbows into the air with its prismatic dance. Beautiful stone sculptures dotted the gardens, many of them depicting famous ponies of note. At the opposite end of the gardens was an immaculate, marble staircase, veined with gold, stretching towards the tall, violet colored, double doors of the castle's entrance.

"Woo Whee." exclaimed Braeburn with an awestricken voice, his wide eyes attempting to take in everything at once.

"Eeyup." agreed Big Mcintosh, his eyes widening ever so slightly. Neither of the stallions had ever seen the royal palace, or even been to Canterlot, and the scenery was quite breathtaking. Applejack smiled at her brother and cousin. Both their mouths hung open slightly, Big McIntosh's sprig of wheat drifting slowly to the ground.

"Where is everypony?" questioned Applebloom to nopony in particular. Applejack looked down at her little sister who was turning her head in all directions, the young filly's search efforts repeatedly yielding the same, disappointing results. Applejack began to follow suit, her keen eyesight unable to spot anypony.

"Now that y'all mention it..." said Applejack. Not only was there nopony in sight, but the usual inhabitants of the palace gardens, namely the fauna that Fluttershy had so eagerly hoped to see during the Grand Galloping Gala, were nowhere to be found. No birds sang and no squirrels chattered. In fact, the pressing silence around them was absolute, and rather disturbing to say the least.

"We still have a meetin' to get to. Let's go Apples." droned Big McIntosh in his deep though seldom heard voice, ushering his family members with a wave of his gigantic front hoof. The large stallion seemed rather content with the silence of the gardens, a silence which Applejack admittedly found unsettling. As the group made their way through the gardens, towards the front entrance of the castle, Applejack couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. The amazing attention to detail of the numerous, lifelike sculptures didn't help the orange mare's paranoia. Every pair of marble eyes seemed to follow her as she passed by.

Soon, though it felt much longer than just "soon" to Applejack, the Apple family made it to the foot of the marble staircase at the other end of the garden. Applejack was somewhat relieved to have made it past the gaze of the statues, but that relief was short lived as Applebloom pointed out another disturbing detail.

"Aren't there supposed to be guards at the front doors?" asked Applebloom curiously with a tilt of her head and an arch of her brow. Indeed, as Applejack's eyes followed the puzzled gaze of her younger sister towards the front doors, not a soul could be found.

"Big Mac, somethin' doesn't seem right." said Applejack, concern lacing her shaky voice as she took a few steps back, pulling Applebloom with her. Braeburn smiled at her slyly.

"Didn't y'all just tell Applebloom not to complain on this here trip?" asked the golden stallion, winking at Applebloom as he did. The young filly smiled widely at her older cousin. Applejack, on the other hoof, shot Braeburn a harsh glare.

"Y'all worry to much." said Big McIntosh simply, dismissing his sister's worries. He strode past the group and began walking up the stairs, his enormous and confident stride easily taking two steps at a time. The group followed closely behind, Braeburn helping Granny Smith up the stairs as best he could. Applejack was growing more unsure about this whole ordeal, her feelings reflected in her heavy and tentative steps. When they had finally made it to the tall, double doors of the castle entrance, Big McIntosh put a hoof to the door attempting to knock. But as the stallion's hoof came into contact with the wood, the door opened with a groan of protest. The large, red workhorse took a step back in surprise, momentarily unsure of what to do. He looked back at his family briefly, but then nodded his head and pushed the door open fully, the hinges creaking loudly as he did.

"We were invited by the princess herself, so..." he trailed off motioning for the group to follow his lead. Upon entering the castle, the first thing Applejack noticed was how surprisingly dark it was. No candles were lit, the only source of light being the sunlight that filtered through the windows rather halfheartedly. The next thing that came to the mare's attention was the lack of ponies, once again. The expansive lobby was seemingly void of life. Even the lightest hoof steps of the Apple family echoed through the mostly empty room, as they made their way deeper into the castle. Applejack glanced about the dimly lit room, the feeling of being watched rapidly returning. Exquisite paintings and tapestries hung from the walls, while large chandeliers dangled precariously overhead. Various lavishly decorated furnishings were scattered about the black and white tiled floors. A scarlet colored carpet traveled from the front doors all the way up a large staircase and further into the castle. Another, smaller carpet intersected the main one, traveling left and right across the lobby, and further into other areas of the castle.

"Hello?" yelled Applejack uncertainly, her voice coming back to greet the group as it reverberated off of the fancily decorated walls. As the words left her mouth the front door Big McIntosh had so easily pushed open quickly slammed shut, the deafening noise echoing all around the room. The chandeliers swayed overhead, disturbed by the forcefulness of the slamming door. The group all jerked their heads towards the doors in unison, their faces all equipped with varying levels of shock.

"What in the hay..." began Braeburn, before he was interrupted by the sound of tiny hooves trotting on the hard, tiled floor. The Apple family turned their attention once more, just in time to see the red tail of Applebloom vanish through a door on the left side of the lobby.

"Oh for Pete's sake... Braeburn, stay here with Granny." said Applejack quickly as she and Big McIntosh ran quickly to the door their younger sister had just gone through moments ago. Applejack ignored Braeburn's protests at once again having to watch over Granny, and she hopped that Granny did the same, for Braeburn's sake. She and Big Mcintosh made it to the door, and forcefully opened it. A large hallway stretched before their eyes, the left side lined with large windows and the other side lined with doors and tapestries. At the far end of the long hallway they were able to catch a glimpse of their younger sister, darting through another door that seemed to lead to a courtyard.

The two work horses wasted little time as they made their way down the corridor. Applejack's peripheral vision became a blur of sunlight on the left and wooden doors and multicolored tapestries on the right, as she urged her legs to move faster. She could almost feel the ground beneath her tremble as her brothers heavy hoof falls sent vibrations through the floor.

The two burst through the door at the end of the corridor and were momentarily blinded by the sudden brightness of Celestia's sun. When their vision returned, they found themselves in a beautiful, stone courtyard on the side of the castle. A large fountain sat in the center of the courtyard, crystal clear water cascading down the smooth sides. Applejack felt innumerable eyes piercing her flesh from every dark corner and hiding spot. The same thunderous silence from the palace gardens pressed in from every angle, the only noise emitting from the splashing water of the fountain. Through the mist that spewed fourth from the fountain, Applejack spied the palace hedge maze. Memories of the last time she had entered the maze, and battled against Chaos, came rushing back to her, but she shoved them away as quickly as they had come. The reminiscence of past events could wait for another time. Right now, the troubles of the present far outweighed anything the past could offer.

A large hoof brushed against Applejack's shoulder, shaking her from her thoughts, and bringing her attention to the large, crimson stallion next to her. Her eyes followed Big McIntosh's hoof as he began to extend it to the right. There she saw a great number of large statues, even more so than the palace gardens. Amidst the towering ponies, beautifully etched from stone, wandered the youngest Apple sibling. The young filly darted from statue to statue as she quickly examined each one. Applebloom's movements were unnaturally ridged, and frantic as she desperately gave each statue quick consideration before darting off to the next one.

"Applebloom!" called Applejack urgently. The young filly was completely oblivious to her sisters calling, as she continued her seemingly futile search.

"Little missy! Get over here now!" boomed the forceful, intimidating, and quite rare, shout of Big McIntosh. Even Applejack winced at the volume and intensity of her brother's voice. Once again, Applebloom ignored her sibling. Applebloom's rigid form was gradually moving further and further away. Big McIntosh snorted in annoyance, and Applejack saw several veins stretch across his brow. There was nothing for it. The older siblings continued their pursuit, entering the forest of pale statues. As the two drew nearer to their sister they overheard her quietly muttering to herself.

"No, no. Not this one. Or this one. No. No. Aha! There you are!" exclaimed Applebloom excitedly. She rubbed her hooves together happily as she looked up at the tall, ominous statue before her. The sound of galloping hooves came to the filly's ears from somewhere behind her, but she paid them no mind. The only thing that mattered was right in front of her.

Applejack and Big Mcintosh skidded to a halt right behind Applebloom, kicking up a generous amount of dirt as they did so. Applebloom seemed to take no notice of their arrival as she stared at the statue. The young filly was captivated, but could not entirely understand why. Instead of lecturing her sister on the dangers of wandering off, Applejack became curious of her sisters new found interest, and tilted her gaze up towards the tall statue her sister was absorbed in.

There stood Discord the spirit of disharmony, still encased in stone. His goat hoof and lizard leg stood precariously on a podium in the exact same stance that the Elements of Harmony had left him in upon their last meeting. His lion paw and griffon claw were stretched towards the sky acting as an apparently futile shield from an unseen assault. His long, slender neck, snaked away from said invisible attack, the asymmetrical eyes of his, horned, goatee ridden, pony head opened wide in shock. His pegasus and bat wings were unfurled in odd directions, and his dragon tail, though rigidly encased in stone, still seemed to flail about. Applejack's eyes grew wide with worry as her gaze shifted from the stiff form of the draconequus, to her little sister. Big McIntosh, ignored the statue of the God of Chaos, instead carefully thinking of the best way to address Applebloom's disobedient actions.

"Applebloom! What's gotten inta ya?!" grunted Big McIntosh. When the filly didn't immediately acknowledge his question he turned her around forcefully with his hoof. A dazed expression rested on her face, as her mouth hung open slightly and her pupils threatened to block out her iris's. The two older Apple siblings drew back ever so slightly at the strange sight of their sister.

"Wha..." said Applebloom in a surprised voice. She quickly shook her head as if ridding it of some terrible thought. Her eyes began to travel in all directions, her wide pupils growing smaller. Her gaze finally came to rest upon her two older siblings, and she smiled happily.

"Hey guys. Where are we?" questioned the filly curiously. Applejack was slightly taken aback at the currently striking resemblance between her younger sister and Granny Smith. Both seemed to have an incredibly forgetful nature. Applejack gave Big McIntosh a worried look. Suddenly Applebloom's face adopted one of shock as she looked at something beyond her siblings and a tiny gasp escaped her lips. The youngest Apple family member fell to the ground in a sort of clumsy bow. Applejack and Big McIntosh stared at their sister, their collective confusion and worry only increasing, until the two risked a quick glance over their shoulders.

There, in all of her royal splendor and glory, stood Princess Celestia, the goddess of the sun, and one of the rulers of all of Equestria. Her pristine, white coat glowed with a celestial beauty, and even the three earth ponies could feel the intense magical aura emanating from her form. Her pastel mane and tail swayed gently in a nonexistent breeze, their perpetual dance alluring and hypnotic. Her long, angel like, wings were folded to her sides, and her elegant horn spiraled towards the heavens. She was clad in a jewel encrusted, golden tiara and collar, her hooves covered in golden horseshoes. One, violet colored eye peered down at the three Apple siblings, the other eye taking sanctuary behind the princesses elegantly flowing mane. Instead of her usually warm smile, the princesses face was an expressionless, porcelain mask. The two elder Apple siblings stood there in awe of Princess Celestia's beauty and grace for a few moments, before remembering their manners. The two quickly bowed, respectfully.

"Oh, there's really no need for that." said Celestia, her gentle voice easing the feelings of unworthiness in the siblings hearts. She motioned for them to rise and they did so obediently.

"Now then, let us get down to business." said the princes quickly.

"Uh, beggin yer pardon, yer majesty. Shouldn't we go get Braeburn and Granny, and attend to this business inside?" asked Applejack. Celestia tilted her head skyward, as if carefully considering Applejack's words, before shaking her head slowly.

"No, Granny Smith and Braeburn are being... taken care of by my sister. As for you three, this location is adequate." she quipped, eying the statue of Discord, her ancient foe. A slow, deep laughter echoed all around the four ponies, reminding Applejack of a distant thunder storm. A strange, cold wind suddenly blew through the forest of statues. The harsh breeze sent shivers erupting down Applejack's spine. The three Apple siblings glanced around nervously. Celestia's face threatened to betray her thoughts, nearly twisting into a scowl of hatred, as she looked at the statue of Discord suspiciously. Instead, she forced a small smile.

"Now then..." began the Princess, before she was interrupted by a bright flash of light. Suddenly, Big McIntosh fell to the ground, writhing in agony. The red stallion's eyes were wide with shock and his limbs flailed helplessly. His mouth opened wide but, strangely, no sound emerged. Applejack and Applebloom were immediately by his side.

"Big brother! What's the matter!?" screamed Applebloom, her eyes overflowing with sorrowful tears, and her lower lip quivering. She sobbed loudly, unable to do a thing, as her brother lay on the ground. Applejack tried to hold the shaking stallion steady, but for her efforts all she received were unintentional blows from the stallion's dangerous, flying limbs. Applejack pulled away from her brother quickly, as one of his hooves came close to grazing her face. The apple farmer felt something wet trickle down from her forehead. She wiped it away with her hoof noticing that it had stained her orange coat a deep color of crimson.

Blood, but where was it coming from? She didn't feel any cuts on her own body. Then she saw it, numerous wounds splitting across Big McIntosh's body, like a gory network of spiderwebs. Deep, jagged crevices ripped their way through Big McIntosh's hide, spewing fourth blood as they intersected with each other. Dead strips of mangled flesh gradually began to slough from his bones. It was as if time had slowed, and Applejack was left to witness her brother's suffering in slow motion. No grisly detail went unnoticed; Not the widening of the wounded stallion's bloodshot eyes, or the way his mane, matted with sweat and blood, desperately clung to his neck and face, or the red liquid pooling in the soft, green grass by his sides. Applejack could even see several ribs protruding through a particularly deep gash in his chest. Unsure of what to do, Applejack desperately turned to the princess, who still wore the unreadable porcelain mask.

"Princess! Help him! Please, help him! He's gonna' die!" begged Applejack in a panic stricken voice, as she looked back at her brother, who's trembling had devolved into involuntary twitching. Then she saw it. There, just barely visible upon the stallion's wound stricken coat, was a pale, hazy outline of magical energy. Applejack noted that it was vaguely the same pale color as the magical energy now erupting from the princesses horn.

She tried to deny it. She tried as hard as she could to deny that the princess had anything to do with her brother's suffering. But she was the element of honesty after all. She couldn't lie to anyone, especially herself. Applejack's eyes narrowed dangerously as she stared daggers into Princess Celestia. A raging inferno threatened to consume her green iris's, like a wild fire raging through a pine forest. The princesses face split into a small smile of amusement at the anger in the insignificant earth pony's eyes.

Applejack shook her hat off and before it had even touched the ground, the apple farmer had began her hysterical charge towards the monarch of the sun. Against all reason, her powerful legs urged her forward, as blind rage coursed through her veins. She snorted as dust was violently kicked up in the wake of her furious charge. Suddenly, the orange mare was fluidly lifted off the ground and tossed to the side like a fly who had casually been swatted away. Applejack gritted her teeth in pain as the momentum of her charge slammed her into the dirt. She tasted blood on her tongue. Celestia confidently stepped over the prone figure of Applejack, casually making her way towards the other two siblings.

"Don't y'all dare..." voiced Applejack venomously through tightly clenched teeth. A strange mixture of blood and saliva spilled over the edges of her mouth. She rose from the ground on shaky hooves and began to take a step towards the princess, but soon found herself unable to do so. Invisible forces seemed to hold her in place, and try as she might, she could not find the strength to resist her unseen bonds. As she fought against her magically inflicted paralysis, Applejack noticed the same white aura of magic that surrounded Big McIntosh, enveloping her own body. Princess Celestia, ignored the paralyzed apple farmer, moving closer to the now still form of Big McIntosh, and the weeping form of Applebloom. The yellow filly's head was hung in sorrow, and her tear soaked face was buried in her hooves. Her body trembled violently. One amber eye emerged from the sanctuary of Applebloom's hooves to gaze up at the slowly approaching monarch.

"Please try to understand, my little ponies..." said Princess Celestia in a hollow and thoroughly discomforting voice that was a far cry from her usual tone. Applebloom was enveloped by an ethereal shell of brilliant arcane energies. The young, disheveled filly was lifted into the air, so that she was eye level with the pale alicorn. Her legs were stretched as far apart as was permitted by her tiny bones. Her chin was lifted up, and her eyes were forced open. "...what I do now, I do for the harmony of all pony kind."

Fear filled Applebloom's eyes to the brim, spilling out over the edges of her eyelids in the form of a fresh torrent of tears, as Princess Celestia drew closer. Applejack was gripped by a foreign sense of uselessness. She didn't deserve the life she had if she didn't even have within her the strength to defend it. She spat out the blood that had collected in her mouth, disgusted with herself. Big McIntosh was probably dead, and Applebloom was next, and it was all because she, Applejack, was too weak and pathetic.

Applejack's vision, blurred with tears, briefly passed over the statue of the draconequus, who had loomed over the entire scene, with a stony expression of indifference. But, was that a smile currently plastered onto his stone face? Applejack couldn't honestly tell, the integrity of her judgment compromised by the great distance and the haziness of her vision. The panic stricken voice of her younger sister, quickly shook the farm pony from her thoughts.

"Y'all are just causin' chaos!" accused Applebloom, her voice trembling as she eyed Princess Celestia fearfully. "Harmony will always ring true, so long as there are good ponies, willing to lend a hoof to those in need!" At these words, an unnatural smile twisted its way across the monarch's face.

"Indeed. They say fate is not without a sense of irony." quipped Celestia, her smile widening slightly. Applejack fought as hard as she could, but Celestia's paralysis spell made her unable to even look away, as the magical glow around Applebloom's right front hoof intensified. With a sickening crack, that seemed to echo all around, the young filly's leg was torn off at the root, and casually cast aside. Blood rose from Applebloom's leg socket in a scarlet plume, staining the otherwise pristine coat of Princess Celestia. Pink strands of ragged sinew and throbbing veins hung from the sides of the gaping hole where the young filly's leg used to be. Applebloom's drew in a sudden, sharp breath as her nerves flared up with the indescribably excruciating pain of having one's leg torn asunder, but no noise came out of her mouth. The youngest Apple family member's eyes rolled back into her head, and she hung in mid air, as limp as one of Pinkie Pie's deflated balloons. Celestia broke the levitation magic that held the deceased filly in place, her limp figure falling to the ground with a dull thud. More blood oozed out of the yellow filly's gaping wound upon impact, spattering across the stone podium of Discord.

Applejack's eyes grew to the size of saucers, while simultaneously her pupils shrunk to the size of pin pricks. Her stomach rumbled uncomfortably, it's contents forcing it's way up the orange mare's esophagus, and spewing out of her mouth. She stood their, or rather, she dangled precariously from the magical hold that was placed on her body, as she no longer had the strength to even stand on her own. She took in several labored gulps of air, as if she had never before drawn breath. Her lower lip trembled and she hung her head in shame and sorrow.

It was in that moment, when Applejack had lost all hope and given into despair, that she suddenly found the strength to resist the magical restraints that had petrified her joints. The orange mare rose into the air on unseen wings, as orange lights danced their way across the sky. An intense wind circulated through the air, pulling dark clouds into a swirling vortex of unimaginable power. The cyclone blocked out Celestia's sun, as it loomed ominously overhead, crackling dangerously with orange bolts of magical lightning. Celestia quickly turned around, the blood of her victims trickling down her porcelain mask. The princess's eyes briefly betrayed the interest in her mind, by widening in surprise ever so slightly.

"It would appear that the element of Honesty disagrees with the death of its host." hypothesized Celestia, her calculating eyes assessing the situation with a cold, mechanical meticulousness. Applejack's body, unable to contain the overwhelming power of the foreign energies swimming through it, let loose a spectacular display of blinding, orange light. Several statues tipped over and shattered against the ground, while the emerald green lawns quickly wilted against the harsh and unforgiving light. Even Celestia herself stumbled back slightly, taken off guard by the sudden wave of energy. When the Alicorn looked back at the levitating farm pony, she immediately noticed a golden collar with an orange jewel in the shape of an apple, hanging around Applejack's neck. The physical manifestation of the Element of Honesty. Then Applejack spoke, though it was in a voice that was entirely unrecognizable if one were to ignore the country accent. A violently booming voice, that would easily rival the royal Canterlot voice of Princess Luna, sprang from the earth pony's mouth like a swarm of angry hornets, their stingers collectively targeting Princess Celestia.

"Celestia! You'll pay for your transgressions! I'm..."

And as quickly as it had began, it ended. Celestia's spell crackled and sparked at the tip of her horn, before piercing the air like a needle through soft flesh. The spell met its target instantly, leaving a gaping hole of smoldering, cauterized flesh where Applejack's heart used to be. The light left the farm pony's eyes as she fell from her mantle of brief power, to the cruel earth below. Several crunching noises, like the snapping of many dried twigs, could be heard as Applejack's weakened bones fractured upon impact. Celestia stood over her victim, the repulsive smell of burning skin and hair came to greet the alicorn's nostrils, which flared in disgust as she turned away from Applejack's corpse.

How fitting that an earth pony should plummet to earth where they belonged. Like Icarus, the foolish earth pony of legend who flew too close to the sun on makeshift wings, Applejack needed to know her place. In fact, all pony kind would do well to remember the ancient fable of Icarus. Celestia's thoughts were interrupted by a very familiar and disturbing sound.

The laughter, resembling the low distant rumble of an electrical storm, resonated through the palace grounds once more. Celestia cringed at the sound. It was going to be a long weekend.

* * *

"This we offer in humility and fear, for the blessed peace of your eternal slumber." mumbled Soarin, his eyes closed and his head bowed respectfully. Spitfire rose from her seat and went to the first of six wooden doors lining the back wall of the control room. She slid it open vertically, revealing a lever. The yellow wonderbolt pulled the lever down and the humming of rotating gears filled the control room briefly.

Shining Armor stood in silence, his mouth tightly shut, and his eyes stinging with tears that were too prideful to fall. He shook on the spot, his tail twitching and swaying at seemingly random intervals. Through the monitors in the control room he had been assigned to guard, the snowy stallion had witnessed the murder of five ponies. Shining Armor wasn't sure if the identity of the murderers or the identity of the victims disturbed him more.

"Prepped extensively huh?" quipped Spitfire rudely, as she noted the demeanor of the captain of the guard. She spared Shining Armor a smirk before returning to the extensive motherboard at her desk. The unicorn stallion stared daggers into the back of the wonderbolts head.

"How can you be so calm about this? We just saw the violent and merciless deaths of five innocent ponies!" hissed Shining Armor through clenched teeth. Soarin nodded and took another sip of his coffee, grimacing at the currently lukewarm temperature of the beverage. Spitfire simply ignored Shining Armor altogether, instead leaning towards a microphone mounted on her desk. She placed a hoof on a button and spoke into the microphone, her voice bored, and passionless.

"Alright Princess Celestia, there is a free spot in the stables, whenever you're ready." On the numerous monitors placed about the room, Shining Armor saw Princess Celestia nod her head slowly. She stepped aside revealing the three corpses of the apple family siblings. Their limp figures were slumped in the rotted grass of the statue gardens, blood, or in Applejack's case, smoke, issuing from their wounds. Shining Armor cringed as memories of his wedding came rushing back to him. He could almost see Applebloom in her beautiful, flower girl dress, excitedly bouncing down the red carpeted aisle, distributing generous amounts of flower petals along the way. He could almost see Applejack, stubbornly adorning her stetson hat, despite Rarity's complaining about a proper dress code at such a formal event. And though he had never personally met the large red stallion, Shining Armor felt a deep connection towards the earth pony. Both had younger sisters whom they loved and protected as best they could. These deaths were hard enough to bear without the additional detail of their murderer being Princess Celestia, the very monarch to whom Shining Armor had pledged his unwavering and undying loyalty to. On the monitor, Celestia's horn lit up once more, and the three corpses vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Princess Luna, we're ready for you now." spoke Sorin casually into a microphone of his own. On another monitor, Shining Armor saw the princess of the night nod solemnly. She looked down at the tiled floor of the palace lobby where the dead figures of Braeburn and Granny Smith lay. They had fatal wounds of their own, though noticeably less grievous than the Apple Family siblings, as if their murderer had hesitated while committing the heinous act.

Granny Smith had a shallow gash across her stomach, and a puncture wound through her temple, through which shattered fragments of a white skull peaked. Her shawl was now frayed and stained with the blood of its owner, and her mane had broken free of its ties, silvery strands of wild hair spreading in every direction, and sopping up unhealthy amounts of blood.

Braeburn had no lacerations upon his golden hide, and would almost appear to a distant passerby as a workhorse who was indulging in a much deserved nap. Though, upon closer inspection, one would realize that his neck should not be twisted that far on its axis, and his front legs should not bend that far in that direction.

Princess Luna stood there for a few moments, perhaps paying her respects for the fallen. Her face was not as easily masked as Celestia's, and even a hundred miles away, and through a hazy screen, frequently plagued by static, Shining Armor could see the regret and guilt in the dark Alicorns eyes. Then, with a heavy sigh, Luna's horn ignited with magical energies and the two Apple Family members vanished.

"Excuse me, Spitfire. That microphone allows you to communicate with Celestia?" asked Shining Armor urgently, pointing to the mic mounted on the desk in front of the female wonderbolt.

"Was your first clue when I spoke into it and she responded accordingly? You're a bright one aren't you?"

Without replying to Spitfire's snark and sarcastic comment, Shining Armor quickly levitated the microphone across the room, and held it in the air, levitating just below his lips. Ignoring Spitfire's protests, he pressed the button on the side and spoke.

"Celestia, what is the meaning of this senseless butchering of your loyal subjects?" On a static filled screen, Celestia's eyebrow raised in a confused manner. Then, after realizing who was addressing her, she smiled lightly.

"I can assure you, Shining Armor, that these killings are far from without sense or purpose. On another note, I would remind you that, though you are now married to my beloved niece, Princess Cadence, you are still my captain of the guard, and will address me with the respect deserved of your superior." said Celestia calmly, her menacing demands not matching up to her heavenly voice.

"Please Princess, I must know why. This has nothing to do with the operation. So why murder the Apple Family." asked Shining Armor, his voice growing frantic. Spitfire shook her head and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I knew they didn't tell you everything. Why would you have so readily agreed to be here if they had spilled the beans too early?" said Spitfire, more to herself than anyone else. Soarin tossed his half finished cup of coffee in a small waste basket, disgusted with the less than warm temperature. Shining Armor stared intently at the still bloodstained face of Celestia imprinted on the monitor, impatiently awaiting his answer.

"Shining Armor, this has everything to do with the operation. This year's requirements are simply a little more specific than usual. Did you not wonder why you were summoned to the Everfree Forest sector?" asked the white alicorn in mock surprise. The stallion's eyes widened in shock as a sickening thought crawled it's way across his brain. Of course, he had wondered why he had been assigned to the Everfree Forest base of operations, when he had no previous knowledge of said operation, or any of the other diabolical operations happening right under the noses of the blissfully ignorant population of Equestria. But he wasn't the only one who had been assigned to this particular sector.

Spike, the small baby dragon, had also been assigned to this year's Everfree Forest operation... and there was one major similarity between the dragon and the white unicorn. One connection that could be made between Spike and Shining Armor.

_I was her big brother best friend forever._

"Princess! Who are the candidates for this year...!" Shining Armor was interrupted by the opening of the metal door of the control room. Shining Armor briskly turned around, ignoring Spitfire's insults about his ability to actually guard a room, until his eyes came to rest upon his beloved wife, Princess Cadence.

Her normally neat and beautiful mane was disheveled, and her eyes were slightly puffy and bloodshot, as if the pink alicorn had been crying. She stumbled into the control room, her clip board clattering against the cement floor. Shining Armor watched the clipboard fall in slow motion, a stray piece of paper escaping it's metal clasp and slowly drifting to the ground. The white Stallion took an uneasy step closer to the paper, reading it and rereading it slowly. He could feel his heart beating harder and his lungs expanding and retracting at an alarming rate. He put a hoof to his chest and stumbled to the floor. Cadence made her way closer to her husband, wrapping her arms around him, and letting loose a short series of sobbing noises.

Shining Armor's eyes scanned the paper once more, willing the words to somehow change with all his being. But no matter how many times he read it, it would always say the same thing.

_Everfree Forest Sector_

_Applejack Apple__: Element of Honesty._

_(NOTE: To be sacrificed outside the Everfree forest sector along with four other members of the Apple family. To be sent to the stables upon death for processing.)_

_Pinkie Pie__: Element of Laughter. _

_Rarity__: Element of Generosity. _

_Fluttershy__: Element of Kindness. _

_Rainbow Dash__: Element of Loyalty. _

_Twilight Sparkles__: Element of Magic. _

"I'm so sorry dear." cried Cadence. A pressing silence fell about the control room, interrupted only by the occasional sob of Cadence. Shining Armor's entire body was trembling, within him a bloody battle of anger and sadness raged on.

"You do know what's at stake here, correct?" came the cold and uncaring voice of Celestia through the monitor. Cadence let loose a small gasp of surprise upon seeing her aunt's bloody face on the screen. Shining Armor stood up, his back to the monitor.

"Princess, I would request an audience with you."

Celestia smiled at the stallion's request.

"Luna and I were actually on our way there to personally oversee this year's operation. Another one of Disharmony's stipulations." explained Celestia as casually as if she were mentioning the weather. Shining Armor was taken aback by her bluntness and general indifference about the whole situation. Did the immortal sun goddess even care about her subjects at all? Without another word, Shining Armor levitated the microphone back to the desk, and slowly made his way past Cadence and out the door. It was going to be a long weekend.


	3. Chapter 3 The Harbinger

"Ouch!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie suddenly. With her front hooves Pinkie Pie began to rub her back left knee vigorously. The other occupants of the horseless carriage stared at the strange pink pony in confusion.

"Are you okay Pinkie?" asked Fluttershy, her maternal instincts kicking it.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just that my..." Pinkie's eyes suddenly widened in fear as a terrifying revelation gripped her heart. "My knee is getting all pinchy." she finished slowly.

Though Pinkie's words were comically high pitched, and squeaky, much like the noise emitted from a rubber ducky, Twilight couldn't help but feel a little fearful. She had already experienced the chilling accuracy at which Pinkie Pie could predict the future, with her "pinkie sense" and Twilight knew all to well what a pinchy knee meant. Something scary was about to happen. Pinkie smiled halfheartedly, a very strange thing for a pony, who's passion was smiling, to do.

The carriage shook gently as the wheels traversed the seldom used trails of the Everfree Forest. Twilight leaned back in her velvet lined seat, deep in thought, as she stared passively out a window at the passing scenery. The trees of the Everfree forest rushed by in a blur of gnarled bark and ragged leaves. Some of the trees stood, tall and proud, like majestic pillars of alabaster stone, while others were hunched over and withered. Every now and again, the carriage would move under a gap in the expansive, leafy canopy, that allowed more than a few weak spots of sunlight to grace the dark forest floor. Twilight was beginning to wonder what kind of pony would build a cabin in menacing woods such as these. Rainbow Dash's uncle must have been either really brave, or really desperate.

Twilight took her eyes off of the window and looked at her group of friends. Across from her Rarity was admiring the inside of the velvet lined carriage, and relishing the comfort it presented. Fluttershy was sitting quietly right next to Rarity, a look of concern for Pinkie Pie still plastered onto her face. Rainbow dash was seated on Fluttershy's other side and staring nonchalantly out a window. Pinkie Pie was seated next to Twilight, and still rubbing her knee. Perhaps Pinkie's pinkie sense was merely warning them of the potential for dangerous things to happen in a forest as unpredictable as the Everfree forest.

But Twilight quickly tossed this idea out of her head. She knew, perhaps more than anypony else, that Pinkie Pie's pinkie sense would only activate if something was about to happen. It would seem that the fear and concern that Spike displayed upon their departure was not entirely unwarranted. Twilight decided not to worry about the inevitable, scary happenstance that would befall them in the near future, instead settling on keeping her guard up for whatever the future held. It was then that she sensed a strange familiarity emanating from the central core of the magic dispersal apparatus of the horseless carriage. A faint magical residue was circulating throughout the entire carriage.

"Girls, something weird is going on. I can sense magic in this carriage." said Twilight urgently, her eyes traveling over every surface of the carriage, attempting to pinpoint the exact location of the foreign magical energies. Rainbow Dash face hoofed.

"Well, you _are_ using magic to make it move Twilight." replied Rainbow Dash, with a roll of her rose colored eyes. "I thought eggheads were supposed to be smart."

"No, no. I sense a foreign magical residue of unknown origin. And yet I find it strangely familiar." explained Twilight, brushing off Rainbow Dash's sarcastic remarks. Rarity wore a face of one who was deep in thought as she began to consider the many different possibilities.

"Well..." Rarity began slowly. "You did mention earlier that this carriage was from Canterlot. Perhaps an old acquaintance from Canterlot was involved in its construction." she finished. Twilight squinted her eyes in concentration, as she pursued the illusive magical substances throughout the carriage, though it evaded her in a manner that was almost purposeful. After a few moments, she gave up her futile endeavor, deciding she was, for the moment, satisfied with Rarity's explanation.

The minutes drifted by as the carriage cut it's way through the forest trails. Light conversation was made. Rainbow Dash bragged about some new death defying trick she had invented in the hopes of impressing her heroes, the Wonderbolts, while Rarity gossiped about celebrities from all over Equestria, and mentioned once or twice that she had just finished several orders for very important clients. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie sat in silence, their eyes shifting back and forth nervously. Twilight couldn't blame them. Pinkie's pinkie sense had never been wrong before. Admittedly, Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

* * *

"Hmph. That purple one looks like she might cause problems." stated Soarin, his green eyes narrowing in annoyance as he scanned the numerous monitors of the control room that now revealed the inside of the horseless carriage from every possible angle. The unicorn, Twilight Sparkles according to the files, had been a child prodigy of unparalleled talent and potential in Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. She was a bright one, and the spells that Spike had subtly cast on the carriage had already reached her attention.

"Yeah, and that pink one also seems troublesome. Princess Cadence, what does Chem Department have cooked up for those two?" asked Spitfire. The golden pegasus was leaning back in her chair and stretching her legs, mostly out of boredom. Though the files on Pinkamina Dianne Pie were not as extensive as Twilight's, they did mention a certain innate ability to predict the immediate future. It was quite astounding that this ability was both recognized and feared. When no response came from princess Cadence, Spitfire turned around in her chair in search of the unresponsive, pink alicorn.

"The princess left when Shining Armor stormed off. For now, we'll have to rely on whatever chemicals the cherry blossom perfume was laced with." explained Soarin in a rather exasperated voice.

"Well, why don't we just take care of the pink one and the purple one first?" suggested Spitfire casually. Soarin shook his head.

"No, the purple one, Twilight Sparkles, is the element of magic, so she's last on the list."

"Well, what about the pink one?" questioned Spitfire. A long yawn escaped her mouth, and she rubbed her eyes. Soarin put a hoof to his breast pocket, in search of the list of this year's candidates, but felt nothing. He briefly glanced around the control room, his keen eyes quickly spotting a slip of paper on the ground near the door where princess Cadence had dropped it. The light blue Wonderbolt left his chair, and retrieved the paper. His eyes brightened slightly, as he read silently to himself.

"Ah, we'll soon be rid of that pesky 'Pinkie Sense'." said Soarin, relief flowing from his voice.

"Alright. Well, let's hand them off to the harbinger for now."

Soarin nodded, and returned to his chair. The sound of Soarin typing on a keyboard echoed around the two Wonderbolts. The entire control room began to tremble as enormous, unseen mechanisms turned and rotated like clockwork. The very foundations of the surface submitted to the guidance of colossal machinery like an earthquake guided by the shifting of tectonic plates. The very shape of the Everfree Forest had subtly bent to the will of Soarin.

* * *

Tremors rippled through the forest. The carriage shook violently, threatening to tip over. Pinkie Pie's knee felt as though it was stuck in an ever tightening metal vice. And everypony in the carriage joined in a chorus of terrified, earsplitting screams. They heard several loud noises as numerous trees submitted to the supposed earthquake and fell over. The carriage came to an abrupt halt and the built up momentum sent the ponies flying to the front of the carriage in a multicolored heap of bruises and sores.

"Ugh, my head." complained Twilight, gently rubbing her cranium in an attempt to usher the mounting headache away. Rarity, oblivious to her own pains and aches, was frantically checking the conditions of her mane and makeup in the faint reflection of the nearby windows. Fluttershy, being on the bottom of the pile, offered several, barely audible squeaks.

"What did you say, Fluttershy?" asked Rainbow Dash, caressing her precious, bruised wings, and attempting to wrench herself free from the dog pile... er... pony pile. Fluttershy peaked her pink maned head out from underneath the prone figure of Pinkie Pie, and glanced up at Rainbow Dash with wide eyes.

"Um, if it's not too much trouble, could you all get off of me? Um, it's okay if you don't want to. I'd rather not be a burden." she stammered. The group dispersed and returned to their respective seats in an attempt to regain their bearings. Then Rarity asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Whatever was that?"

"An earthquake, or maybe an earthshake! Oh, an earthshake, I wonder what that would taste like! Or maybe that wasn't an earthshake at all! Maybe the earth was just dancing!" suggested Pinkie Pie. The others were momentarily rendered speechless with uncertainty at the end of Pinkie's strange little monologue.

"My guess is that tremor was what Pinkie Pie's, pinkie sense was trying to warn us about. Whatever the case may be, I think we hit something." said Twilight finally. The purple unicorn slowly opened the door on the side of the carriage and carefully stepped out into the intimidating forest. Sunlight halfheartedly filtered through tiny gaps in the leafy ceiling, reminding Twilight of stars in the night sky. Leaves and twigs, rotted and browned with age, cracked loudly beneath her hoof steps as she made her way around to the front of the carriage, her vision suffocating in the tight embrace of the dimly lit forest.

Magic pulsated at the end of Twilight's horn, and a circle of faint purple light surrounded her. Twilight allowed herself a feeling of safety and comfort within her small sanctuary of luminosity, the darkness dancing just beyond the reach of her spell. Her horn shown like a beacon of light in the pressing darkness and Twilight was quickly able to spot the cause of their abrupt stop. A large birch tree had fallen across the pathway. Luckily, there was almost no damage to the carriage. It was a rather strange happenstance, but the solution was elementary. A simple levitation spell ought to do the trick.

As Twilight was preparing the spell, she noticed something odd about the birch tree, that made her pause. The tree was broken in such a way that made Twilight doubt it was the work of an earthquake. The trunk was a splintered wreckage of bark and wood, much like the stump it had been separated from. It was almost as if the tree had been hacked down purposefully by somepony.

Suddenly Twilight felt something tap her shoulder. Her eyes widened in fear and she froze on the spot, not even daring to breathe. She wanted to scream, but the fear coursing through her veins had rendered the studious unicorn petrified.

"Um Twilight, is everything alright?" Twilight let loose a breath of relief upon hearing the familiar voice of Pinkie Pie. She turned around to face the pink earth pony.

"Yeah, everything's fine. We just hit a fallen tree. No big deal." explained Twilight, gesturing for Pinkie Pie to return to the carriage. Pinkie Pie eyed the fallen birch suspiciously.

"Okie Dokie Lokie." she said slowly, before returning to the carriage. Twilight cast the levitation spell, ignoring her own feelings of suspicion as to why the rather large tree had fallen, while many other smaller trees lining the road were left unscathed. The birch was lifted from the ground and gently placed by the side of the road. Once the job was done, Twilight quickly returned to the carriage, eager to leave the pressing darkness.

* * *

"Yo Twilight. Do you know where you're going?" said Rainbow Dash, a few minutes after the group of ponies had resumed their travels. The purple mare spared Rainbow Dash a quizzical look. Admittedly, Twilight didn't know the way to the cabin, but she didn't really need to know the way, as the carriage was equipped with Twilight's very own GPS. Or Global Positioning Spell.

"Well, no. But the carriage should take us there on it's own accord. All I need to do is supply the energy." stated Twilight confidently. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes skeptically.

"Uh huh. Well, to me, it looks like we're going the wrong way." replied Rainbow Dash as she looked out of her window. Though it was the cabin of Rainbow Dash's relative, and the cyan pegasus ought to know the way by heart, Twilight would more readily put faith in her spell, than in the questionable memory of another.

"Just trust me Rainbow Dash. My GPS will get us there in a jiffy." said Twilight in what she hoped was a reassuring voice. Rainbow Dash didn't respond, as she stared out her window, transfixed by the dark and twisted scenery of the Everfree Forest as it rushed by. Fluttershy made a small noise, but it was anyone's guess as to what was meant by it.

"What was that Fluttershy?" asked Twilight. The cream colored pegasus shrank back a bit, as if she felt uncomfortable repeating what she had said.

"Well, it's just that, not that I don't believe your spell will work, but, well..." she stammered.

"Go ahead darling." encouraged Rarity, gently patting Fluttershy on the shoulder. The shy pegasus jumped at the white unicorn's touch. The beautiful smell of cherry blossoms greeted Fluttershy's nose as Rarity's perfume wafted towards her. Suddenly the shy little pegasus didn't feel so shy anymore. Instead, she felt wonderfully comfortable.

"Well Twilight." Fluttershy began, an unfamiliar confidence coursing through her body. "As you know, the Everfree Forest is infamous for its seemingly lifelike independence. The flora grows unassisted by earth ponies, and the clouds gather unaided by pegasus hooves." All eyes were on Fluttershy, heads tilted, and brows arched in confusion. The cream colored pegasus was almost never this forward. Twilight nodded, her mouth slightly agape.

"Well, it has been said that those who traverse the pathways of the Everfree Forest are subject to the will of the woods. Their final destination is determined by the forest itself. So, I guess what I'm saying is, we might actually be lost." finished Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie suddenly shoved Rainbow Dash away from the window and pressed her nose against the cold glass. She carefully scanned the outside, oblivious to the verbal retaliations of Rainbow Dash at having been rudely pushed aside.

"Hey, we're not lost! I know exactly where we are!" Pinkie exclaimed excitedly. She jumped up and down so fast she appeared to be vibrating. "Do we have enough time for a quick stop?" she asked, hope lacing her high pitched voice.

"I suppose..." said Twilight before she was interrupted by pinkie's eager squeals.

"YAY!"

Rainbow Dash was about to protest the delay, but her resolve faltered at the eagerness displayed on Pinkie Pie's face. Instead, the rainbow maned pegasus settled for sighing and crossing her front hooves over her chest. A frown spread across Rainbow's face like mold eating away at a block of cheese as Twilight pulled the carriage off to the side of the pathway. Pinkie Pie was quick to open the carriage door. She leaped out into the forest, beckoning the others to follow. They hesitantly obliged.

"Where are we anyway Pinkie Pie?" asked Fluttershy, her curiosity getting the best of her. Pinkie Pie was leading them a little ways off the road, smiling mischievously as the group pushed their way past the underbrush of the forest. Twilight felt a bit apprehensive at leaving the safety of the carriage, given recent events. Then the studious unicorn rationalized that, if Pinkie Pie, the master of the Pinkie sense, could see no danger in their immediate future, then this little excursion was perfectly safe. In response to Fluttershy's question, Pinkie Pie inhaled a large gulp of air before letting it all lose in the form of a familiar, yet somehow different, song.

"She's a pretty enchantress, and she does pretty dances! And if you ask her politely, she'll teach you her stances! Then what does she do?! She cooks up a tasty brew! Then she serves it all up, with a big smile for you!" As she finished her song, Pinkie Pie put her hoof to a small, low hanging pine tree branch and bent it back, revealing a simple hut with a straw roof, cradled in the center of a small clearing. She smiled expectantly at the group.

"Zecoura's?" questioned Twilight, her voice holding a tone that was anything but confident and assured. Apparently, Twilight's spell had guided them all to Zecoura's hut instead of her intended destination. Rainbow Dash's frown quickly turned into a smug grin. She smiled arrogantly at Twilight, who answered the pegasai' sneering with all the intensity she could muster in her own glowering.

"Zecoura's." said Rainbow Dash, in mock surprise. She put her front hooves on the sides of her face. "But that's nowhere near my uncle's cabin. I guess that GPS couldn't guide us through the Everfree Forest after all. Right Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash nudged Fluttershy playfully, and Fluttershy, despite her new found confidence, shied away from Twilight's harsh stare.

"Who is that? Do my ears deceive me? Can it be, my favorite little ponies?" said a familiar voice from within the hut. A cloaked figure emerged from the humble dwelling, a pair of glowing yellow eyes peering at the group of mares from beneath a tattered hood. The rather ominous figure shook it's head, the hood falling around its shoulders. The kindhearted face of Zecoura greeted them all with a warm smile. She wore golden rings around her neck and front legs, and her body was covered it what Rarity referred to as 'garish stripes'. The zebra's mane was short and stuck straight up, an uncouth mane style that Rarity politely disagreed with.

"Greetings. Warm greetings to you all. To what do I owe this pleasant house call?" greeted the zebra herbalist, her blue eyes flashing in the small bits of sunlight that penetrated the leafy canopy. Zecoura paused suddenly, noticing the absence of one of her friends. "But one member, your group seems to lack. Tell me, where is dear Applejack?" asked Zecoura, an abundance of both concern and curiosity within her deep voice. She glanced sideways, half expecting the orange work horse to emerge from behind a tree or boulder.

"Hello Zecoura. We're on a little camping trip. Unfortunately, Applejack and her family were called into Canterlot to..." Twilight started.

"We're lost." Rainbow Dash bluntly interrupted. Twilight shot Rainbow a harsh glare.

"What she means is, we were wondering if you knew how to get to the cabin owned by Rainbow Dash's relative?" explained Twilight. A chilling breeze blew through the forest, the trees dancing in the embrace of the wind. The ponies all shivered. Zecoura's eyes widened slightly, and her warm smile turned into a frown.

"I know of only one other dwelling in the forest of Everfree. And that cabin belongs to the Apple Family. It is just down the road and past a steep gorge. To get there, a treacherous path you must forge." Zecoura's words were slow and hesitant, as if she were unsure whether or not she should be speaking them. The zebra's eyes stared off into space, as if she were considering something. She bit her lower lip and her brow wrinkled slightly.

"No, no, that's my uncle's cabin." Rainbow Dash corrected with a confident nod of her head. Zecoura offered only a distant stare, as if she hadn't even heard the rainbow maned pegasus.

"Well, he obviously bought it from the Apple Family." reasoned Rarity, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, well thank you Zecoura. You've helped us out immensely." said Twilight gratefully.

"We'll all have to come visit you soon. Maybe even throw a party!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, bouncing up and down like a pink rubber ball. Zecoura's face lightened briefly before regressing into a more serious one.

"Not all is as it seems in this forest of lies. To exercise great caution would be most wise." warned Zecoura, her voice still maintaining a certain level of distance and hesitation. The group of ponies nodded in almost perfect unison.

"Don't worry. We will." said Rainbow Dash, before rather eagerly turning to leave. The rest of the group followed, waving over their shoulders and voicing their goodbyes. Zecoura waved goodbye to them all, and nopony, or zebra for that matter, noticed the tears that had built up in her bright blue eyes. Zecoura watched her friends go until their multicolored figures were swallowed by the thick foliage of the forest. The zebra promptly retreated into her hut.

Zecoura's hut was small and circular, with a large, bubbling cauldron in the center of the dirt floor and shelves full of various ingredients set against the sides. Foreign decorations hung from the walls, intimidating to most ponies despite their friendly intentions. Dark, scary looking masks with streaks of paint running across their surfaces and wooden planks with strange carvings were scattered about, some even dangling from the straw roof overhead

Zecoura wiped away the collection of liquid that was now threatening to spill over the edges of her heavy eyelids. She quickly made her way around the cauldron and rummaged through one of the many shelves. Glass vials containing different colored liquids and shakers holding more grainy substances were tossed aside frantically. The zebra searched madly, all usual thoughts of organization and overall cleanliness currently forced to the back of her mind. After several minutes of searching and researching, her efforts were finally rewarded. The zebra herbalist held a black vial aloft proudly as she made her way towards the bubbling cauldron.

Carefully uncorking the vial, Zecoura added a generous amount of the jet black liquid to the cauldron. Dazzling shapes and lights danced across the frothy surface of the liquid in the cauldron and after a few short moments the liquid abruptly became as still and smooth as glass. Zecoura peered down into the cauldron, her face contorting into one of annoyance.

Upon the glass like surface of the liquid was an image of a gray room in which two pegasai were comfortably seated at a desk. Any filly or colt who grew up in Cloudsdale would easily be able to recognize the two pegasai as Soarin and Spitfire, even without their usual Wonderbolts attire. The two pegasai glanced up right into the dangerously narrowed eyes of Zecoura.

"Hello." seethed Zecoura. What her previous sentence lacked in the sense of a rhyme scheme, it more than made up for in venomous anger.

* * *

On one of the many monitors in the control room, the face of Zecoura, the harbinger for the Everfree Forest Sector, appeared. The zebra seemed less than amused as her large, blue eyes glared out from the static ridden screen, burning with the intensity of white hot metal. Her brow was wrinkled in frustration and her teeth were clenched tightly. Soarin and Spitfire rubbed their temples and sighed heavily. Whenever the harbinger called, something was wrong.

"Hello Zecoura. How are things upstairs?" greeted Soarin in artificial politeness.

"Wait just a second Soarin. Isn't she supposed to speak in rhyme?" criticized Spitfire, pointing an accusing hoof towards the screen Zecoura's glaring face currently inhabited. Soarin shrugged helplessly, his mouth hanging open.

"I only need to rhyme when I am playing the part of the harbinger." spat Zecoura angrily. Her eyes shifted rapidly between the two pegasai, as if daring either to object to her currently rhyme-less speech patterns.

"Speaking of which, what a horrible performance that was. You weren't the least bit creepy or intimidating! After all your years of experience, I didn't think we'd have to tell you how to do your job." retorted Spitfire, ignoring Zecoura's previous statement. The golden pegasus leaned back in her chair and spun around several times, yawning and stretching during her slow rotations. Soarin watched his partner's antics, a small smile spreading across his face.

"Excuse me! This is serious! I need to..."

"That better be a rhyme, about to come out of your mouth. Honestly how haven't you lost your job yet?" interrupted Spitfire. The female pegasus stretched her wings, awaiting the inevitable conversation. Zecoura never particularly liked dealing with Soarin or Spitfire... especially Spitfire, but this was just infuriating. The zebra was fuming with rage. Several veins popped across her furrowed brow, and her teeth began to grind back and forth. There was nothing for it. If she wanted to be heard, she'd have to speak in rhyme.

"My work may have it's ups and downs, but I'm still more talented than you two clowns. But never mind that, for I digress. I demand an audience with your princess."said Zecoura slowly, through her clenched teeth. She tried, and failed, to keep her voice calm and level. At this, Spitfire's eyes widened. She tilted her fiery maned head to the side and arched her brow.

"Perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought I just heard you say the word 'demand'." said Spitfire, a weak and uneasy laugh escaping her lips. The steely visage of Zecoura remained unchanged, neither confirming or denying a single thing. She and Spitfire both knew what she had said. Spitfire's laughter quickly devolved into a frown at the sight of Zecoura's hard expression.

"You'll have to get in line. She's conducting another audience with Shining Armor down stairs at the moment." explained Soarin casually, noticing how dead serious Zecoura was. Without another word the zebra's face was quickly consumed by darkness as the transmission was abruptly cut short.

"Touchy, that one." said Spitfire after a few moments of a rather awkward silence. Soarin nodded in agreement.

"A regular Icarus."

* * *

Zecoura began to pace around the hut, her hoof steps a little harder than was necessary. If Soarin and Spitfire thought that Zecoura was just going to sit around and wait for something bad to happen, they were sorely mistaken. The herbalist nodded confidently, pulling her hood over her head. The shadowy veil cast over the upper half of her face, granted her normally blue eyes, a strange, otherworldly glow of yellow.

Twilight and her friends hadn't simply chanced upon Zecoura's hut by mistake. They were purposefully led there. And ponies that were purposefully led to Zecoura's humble abode were always originally trying to get their unanimous uncle's cabin in the woods. It was always the same story, except that this story had one major difference. This year's ponies were not complete strangers. No, in fact they were very close friends with Zecoura.

Why had Twilight and the mane six been chosen this year? And why had only five of them arrived at her hut asking for directions? Where was Applejack? Zecoura had many questions buzzing around angrily in the beehive of her mind and there was only one pony who could answer them. Zecoura would go to the Everfree Forest base of operations, and drag the answers out of Celestia if need be. Having decided on a course of action, the zebra pulled her traveling cloak tighter around her striped figure and made her way out of the door, an unbreakable resolve coursing through her body and, admittedly fatigued, mind.


	4. Chapter 4 The Truth

Celestia was seated in her office in the Everfree Forest Sector, her colorful mane dancing in a breeze that went on unfelt by the rest of the world, and her royal adornments glinting in the gently humming fluorescent lights that were placed overhead. Polished wooden shelves, filled to the brim with large assortments of ancient and eldritch, leather bound, tomes rested against the walls, and a sepia colored globe was placed in a corner behind Celestia's desk. A clock hung on the wall opposite the door, the normally quiet ticking of the all too eager second hand slicing through the tranquility of the silent room with ease. Having just arrived moments ago from her palace in Canterlot via magical teleportation, Celestia was alone, and awaiting the inevitable meeting between her and her captain of the guard. Under normal circumstances Celestia would have inserted the word "loyal" in front of "captain of the guard", but the normality of this situation was lacking, and Shining Armor's loyalty was in question. The pale Alicorn shook her weary head and leaned it heavily against her polished, mahogany desk.

For an immortal being of everlasting youthfulness and energy, she was feeling particularly drained today. Never before had her golden tiara felt so heavy. She sighed and allowed herself a brief moment of rest, her eyelids drooping shut and her head resting on the desk.

"Oh, my dear, sweet Celestia. Whatever is the matter?" taunted a voice inside the ancient alicorn's head. The voice was an odd one, rising and falling in pitch at seemingly random intervals, and sounding light hearted in a strangely menacing way. Celestia was briefly startled by the abruptness of the voice. She rose from her seat and began to scan the room carefully, her violet eyes traveling over every surface.

Then, upon the arrival of a cruel realization, Celestia's face quickly transformed from one of surprise to one of annoyance. She sighed, not wanting to acknowledge the voice, but she had played this game many times and knew that ignoring the voice would get her nowhere.

_'Nothing's wrong Discord.'_ she thought simply. She wasn't entirely sure if she meant it this time, but she wasn't about appear anything less than perfect before him.

"Oh, but something is wrong. You can't hide anything from me." Continued Discord in mock concern for the princess's wellbeing.

_'Well then why don't you tell me what's wrong Discord?! Cease your incessant prattling and get to the point, you wretched creature of disharmony!_' challenged Celestia angrily. A light chuckle resonated within the Alicorn's skull, ricocheting off of her brain stem, piercing through her frontal lobe, and then traveling along the cerebral cortex. The princess put a hoof to her temple and gently rubbed, attempting to combat the mounting migraine.

"Oh. You wrongfully label me as a creature of disharmony, as a perpetrator of evil acts, simply because you don't see the world the same way I do. Oh Celestia, I ask you, what is harmony?" questioned Discord. Celestia paused, taken aback by the question. What is harmony? What a simple inquiry, and yet the answer eluded her. But she couldn't let Discord see her hesitate.

_'Peace amongst all ponykind.'_ answered Celestia quickly, and in what she prayed was a confident voice. There was a brief moment of silence, as Discord considered her answer. The silence was far too brief for Celestia's liking.

"Is that all? I would have thought that harmony was a much broader term than that." Celestia could almost see Discord's expression of arrogance and pride, as clearly as if the draconequus were in the room with her.

_'Perhaps you would like to submit your own answer.' _growled the disgruntled alicorn.

"Well, I was just going to say balance. I am not so close minded as to attribute a single race to harmony." Celestia's only response was a roll of her eyes.

"This universe rests upon a foundation made up of one single concept." continued Discord, oblivious to the general disinterest of the princess.

_'Do not speak the ancient laws of creation to me vile fiend! I witnessed their forging!'_ spat the princess angrily. The outer defense of her unreadable, porcelain mask was discarded in favor of dangerously flashing eyes and tightly pursed lips.

"Then you know as well as I that balance is what holds the universe up. A harmony shared equally amongst all things pony and non pony alike." Celestia was now fuming with a rage that hadn't been felt in centuries. Thick bursts of steam rose from her flaring nostrils and her teeth grinded against each other with a ferocity that would have rendered a lesser pony toothless. Celestia couldn't believe that her ancient foe was lecturing her.

"But if balance is the foundation, then surly the great many contrasts of the universe are the building blocks. I ask you, what would darkness be without light? What would order be without chaos? Would good even exist were it not for evil?"

It was as if sparks were shooting out of her eyes as Celestia furrowed her brow in frustration, unable to find a weak spot in the diamond hard armor of Discord's arguments. The sun goddess was experiencing the suns equivalent of a solar flare, and at this rate was likely to go super nova very soon. The draconequus paused for effect before continuing, positively relishing how easy it was to get under Celestia's skin.

"Why do you think that, within the past couple of centuries, Equestria has experienced numerous occurrences of chaos? The betrayal of Luna, the return of yours truly, the siege of Canterlot by the changeling hoards? Why is it that, even though the elements of harmony sealed me away once more, I am able to speak freely with you now? For too long the scales of the universe have been tipped in favor of Order! Soon the scales will tilt towards Chaos, and the great balance of the universe will be achieved! That, my dear Celestia, is true harmony."

_'You seem to be forgetting that once the ritual is completed, you and all chaos shall be locked away once more!' _Celestia reminded the god of chaos, allowing herself a healthy swell of pride. Her face split into a large smile, subconsciously daring the draconequus to argue otherwise.

"Oh. While that may be true, perhaps you'd like to explain to me why, when dear Applejack's life was in danger, the element of honesty manifested itself in an attempt to save her life." Challenged Discord with a heavy chuckle. Celestia's anger had mostly dissipated, leaving room for other petty feelings such as fear and uncertainty

_'Well, obviously the element of honesty didn't want to lose such a perfect host.' _reasoned Celestia, her voice shaky and riddled with doubt. Discord's chuckling increased in volume and frequency at the alicorn's unconfident answer. Celestia could almost feel the very earth tremble. The fluorescent lights of her office flickered like a candle's flame being assaulted by a harsh breeze.

"Wrong! The elements of harmony don't want the ritual to be completed because they know that true harmony is balance! A balance between order and chaos, light and darkness, good and evil, cucumbers and pickles! Celestia my dear, the time of order is over. The time of Chaos has come!" explained Discord, his voice coated in an unwavering conviction. In the furthest recesses of the ancient sun goddesses mind a small part of her was more or less convinced by the chaos god's words. This in turn spread uncertainty throughout the rest of her brain like an unholy pestilence of chaos.

_'You are pure evil! Good shall always triumph over the darkness! That, Discord, is an undeniable fact!' _screamed Celestia like a filly who was upset at having to eat broccoli.

"That is the seemingly predestined outcome of most sugar coated, goody two shoes, fairy tales." agreed Discord. "But we don't live in a sugar coated, goody two shoes, fairy tale, now do we Celestia. No matter how much you try to dress it up, no matter how blissfully ignorant your little ponies have become, you and I both know the truth."

_'I care nothing for the 'truth' as you have dubbed it. You are evil! Before the sun rises again, I will see order restored to my kingdom, and you shall be trapped in your stony prison once again!'_ seethed the pale alicorn.

"How arrogant of you to attribute good and evil how you see fit. Chaos is not necessarily evil, just as Order is not necessarily good." countered Discord.

_'Call it what you will, but I refuse to participate in your twisted game of semantics!' _She shouted stubbornly. Celestia's mind had had its fill of mental assaults for the time being.

"Very well, I shall take my leave of you for now. But before I go I will leave you with a final piece of irony. If you are to play the role of absolute goodness, and I the role of absolute evil, then why is it that you long for the death of your loyal subjects more so than I do? Very rarely, if ever, do we get to see black and white. Usually all we see are different shades of gray."

And with that the voice was lost to a hysterical fit of cackling that reminded Celestia of a chorus griffon claws scratching a large chalk board. The wretched noise echoed in her skull for a short time, but soon faded into nothingness. The alicorn slumped into her chair and let her head rest upon her desk with a heavy sigh. Her tiara had never felt so heavy.

It was in this moment that a more than audible raping at the door echoed throughout the office. After taking a brief moment to compose herself, and to reattach her porcelain mask, Celestia's horn shimmered with magical energies, swinging the door open. An pale, frustrated looking unicorn, with an icy blue pair of eyes, strode in briskly, followed by a rather timid and concerned looking, pink Alicorn in a white lab coat.

"Shining Armor. Cadence. How lovely to see you two. I hope you're both well. Please have a seat. I sense that we have much to discuss." Celestia exclaimed in mock enthusiasm, magically summoning up two chairs for her guests. Her tiara had never felt so heavy.

* * *

The baby dragon hadn't experienced much in his life so far, but was fairly certain that, even if he were to live a thousand years, he'd never experience something as wretchedly deplorable as the task that currently lay before him. Spike had not only allowed his friends to walk blindly towards danger; he himself had shepherded them towards it. And now it was up to him, as well as a handful of others, to make sure that the mane six would never again see the light of day.

Spike made his way down the unforgiving, grey hallways of the Everfree Forest sector, his stubby legs moving at an even slower rate as his depression weighed him down like a rusty anchor. His tail was dragged across the white tiled floor, as Spike had neither the will, nor the energy to lift it. Several ponies all dressed in business attire, passed by the purple dragon, offering him arched eyebrows and puzzled expressions. Many would stop mid sentence once they took notice of Spike and would not resume their conversations until they were out of earshot.

Spike was mostly used to this sort of treatment from ponies he had never seen before, so he didn't let it bother him. But what did bother him was the occasional sighting of a pony that he did recognize. He passed by a water fountain that was surrounded by a group of ponies deep in conversation. Among them were none other than Lyra Heartstrings and Bonbon. The aqua marine unicorn and off white earth pony both did double takes as Spike made his way, wordlessly past them. Shortly afterwards he bumped into Dr. Whooves as the stallion made his way out of a conference room. The brown earth pony quickly apologized, but upon seeing that it was Spike he had collided with, fell silent and scuffed his hoof awkwardly against the tiled floor. Then, the doctor made his way around a corner and out of sight, muttering something about needing to find Derpy Hooves.

Apparently many residents of Ponyville were employed at the Everfree Forest sector. Spike's feeling of guilt was now mixed with a feeling of betrayal. Who would have thought that friendly ponies, that one would occasionally pass by on the street, were involved in matters as sinister as these? Spike shook his head sadly, remembering that he too was now employed at the Everfree Forest sector. The young dragon was lost in his sorrowful thoughts and nearly bumped into an elevator door at the end of the hallway.

Why did things have to be like this? Was life really so cruel as to grant one happiness beyond measure only to violently snatch it all away? Spike's claws warped into tiny fists of rage, a small amount of blood trickling down through his tightly clenched fingers. With strength previously unbeknownst to the youthful dragon, Spike punched the call button next to the elevator. The force of the impact left a small crater and a spider web of hairline cracks rippled across the surface of the wall. Heedless to the rather violent method of button pushing, the call button lit up, heralding the coming elevator. The light humming of a system of enormous pulleys filled the hallway as the elevator descended to the level Spike was on. With a sudden lurch, the silver elevator doors creaked open.

Spike boarded the elevator car, his gaze fixed downwards, until a gasp reached the dragon's ears. He tilted his gaze upwards, his eyes coming to meet a cloaked figure. Two menacing, yellow eyes stared at the dragon from beneath the veil of shadow cast by the tattered hood. He leapt back in surprise, colliding with the now closed elevator door. The elevator car began its decent, and Spike's stomach churned at the abruptness of the motion.

The figure moved closer to Spike, lowering itself to be eye level with the baby dragon. Spike's heart began to race faster and faster, threatening to escape the very ribcage that cradled the beating organ. He tightly closed his eyes and turned his head away from the figure that was now only inches away. Then with a sudden jerk of its head, the hood fell around the figures shoulders, and the familiar, black and white striped face of Zecora met the dragon's eyes.

"Zecora? What are you doing he…?" Spike stopped suddenly as his mind jumped to a rather awful, though fairly accurate conclusion. "Oh. You're involved in this mess too huh?" said the Dragon, in a voice dripping with depression. The zebra herbalist straitened up and looked away, unable to face the hurt in the young dragon's eyes. She slowly and guiltily nodded in response to his inquiry.

"But what are you doing here little one?" questioned Zecora suddenly, in an attempt to ease the rather tense situation. The zebra found herself unable to make direct eye contact with the purple dragon, but was, at the very least, looking in his general direction. Spike was momentarily caught off guard by the lack of a rhyme scheme in Zecora's words, but decided to ignore it, thinking instead of an answer to her question. Tears threatened to escape his eyes as the young dragon remembered his reason for being here.

"I'm here to 'bear witness' and to report the progress I've made upstairs with this year's operation." said Spike, pointing upwards with a shaky claw. "I was assigned to cast surveillance spells in the horseless carriage. I also 'spiked' (pardon the pun) the apple cider and cherry blossom perfume with the herbs given to me by chem department and the harbinger." continued the dragon as if admitting his part in some heinous crime to his executioner.

Zecora was taken aback. Why was Spike, a baby dragon who had never even known of these secret operations happening all over Equestria, suddenly assisting with said operations? And worst of all, the mane six were this year's candidates. Zecora now prayed that Spike was blissfully ignorant of the identities of those who were to be sacrificed.

"Ah, yes, lion's pride. Odorless and tasteless once the powdered leaves are dissolved in liquid. It grants one courage that crosses into the realm of stupidity." recollected Zecora, hoping to lead the conversation away from the identities of this year's offering, should Spike somehow be unaware of just who they actually were.

"Wait, you know what herb was used. Then you…" realization quickly dawned on Spike. "You're the harbinger! Then you must have seen them recently! Please tell me, is Twilight okay?!" exclaimed Spike in desperation, clinging onto Zecora's travel worn cloak. Tears were now freely streaming down his scaly cheeks.

Zecora felt like her heart was breaking apart. Not only was this child made to participate in a systematic ritual sacrifice in which his friends were to be offered up, but he knew full well that he was assisting in their deaths. The herbalist drew the dragon into a tight hug and gently rocked him back and forth. She ran a hoof through the green spines on his head repeatedly, in a rather vain attempt to comfort him.

"I saw them. They were fine. Oh Spike. Spike, I'm so sorry." Zecora said softly. Spike eyed the zebra carefully, his piercing green eyes coming to meet her blue eyes wrought with sorrow. Within the dragon's heart raged a war of conflicting emotion. He was angry with Zecora for performing her duties as harbinger by leading his friends towards their doom, but at the same time, understood that the zebra had not had a say in the matter. After a rather awkward silence Spike returned the hug, burying his face in the folds of her cloak, and weeping. Zecora hadn't expected her gesture to be returned so readily. She had expected anger, fear, rage, fury, sadness, feelings of betrayal, or really anything other than what Spike was now displaying.

"Little one, why do you…? Zecora was cut off by Spike's explanation.

"Because I understand that you had no other choice. I understand because I've been in the exact same position as you. We have both betrayed their trust. I'm sorry too Zecora. So very sorry." cried Spike, his quiet voice dotted with brief periods of sobbing. Zecora was still surprised by his actions, and felt unworthy of his forgiveness, but nevertheless accepted it. She lifted the small dragon's tear streaked face towards hers.

_It is when we feel like we don't deserve friends that we need them the most._

"I'm going to see princess Celestia. I have a few questions to ask her. Why don't you come along? I'm sure you have questions of your own." offered Zecora. The Zebra wiped the dragon's tears away with her hoof, her lips forming a small smile of encouragement. Spike sniffled and nodded.

After a brief moment of silence the elevator came to a stop and the doors parted. Before Spike and Zecora stretched a short corridor, a plain looking, gray door placed at the end. Spike took a few cautious steps forward, his depression made clear in his hesitant steps. Zecora, on the other hoof, strode past the dragon, finding confidence in her anger. Spike picked up his own pace, not wanting to find himself out of arms reach of the zebra. As the pair drew closer to the door, spike noticed a golden plaque hanging from the door, the words "director's office" clearly etched on the polished surface in a beautiful, wavy font. Just as Zecora raised her hoof to knock, there came a tempest of angry shouts from beyond the door, followed by a chorus of soft voices.

"Are you saying I do not deserve an explanation?!" boomed a deep, thunderous voice. The owner of the voice was male, presumably stallion, and very angry.

"Dear please…" pleaded a second, more delicate voice. This voice definitely belonged to a female, her tone, a calming April shower when compared to the previous, hurricane like voice. In Spike's mind the two voices held a sense of familiarity, but the young dragon was unable to place exactly where he had heard them before. Zecora set her readied hoof back on the floor, not entirely sure she wanted to interrupt. Suddenly a voice that both Spike and Zecora recognized sounded within the office, in response to the first.

"Not at all. I'm merely suggesting that we wait a moment. It is my understanding that two others are in search of the very same answers that you seek. And to have to explain the subtle complexities of such a intricate concept to minds as feeble as your own on more than one occasion would tire me endlessly." came the regal voice of princess Celestia. Though it was unmistakably the voice of the pale monarch, the specific wording of her sentences seemed to suggest otherwise. Spike felt a shiver run down his spine and tail at the staggering contrast between Celestia's sweet, heavenly voice, and her harsh words.

"If you expect me to just sit here and do nothing…!" spat the first voice, before he was cut off by the sun goddess.

"You're the captain of the guard Shining Armor. That is exactly what I expect you to do. After all, isn't that what guards do best? In any case, I ask that you exercise a little patience. As soon as Spike and Zecora stop mindlessly lurking outside my office, we can begin."

Spike and Zecora's eyes widened and they exchanged fearful looks before taking the hint the princess had given them, and entering. Upon their entrance, the purple dragon and the zebra herbalist were regarded by three pairs of eyes. Celestia sat behind a desk close to the far wall of the office, while Shining Armor and Princess Cadence sat in chairs placed off to the left. The pale monarch nodded at the two newcomers, summoning up two other seats with a swish of her radiant horn. Spike and Zecora took their seats within the bubble of growing awkwardness, the purple dragon risking a glance, and even a halfhearted smile, at the snowy unicorn stallion, whose own chilling gaze reminded the dragon of an icy maelstrom. Spike's smile faltered in an instant against the stallion's harsh stare, wilting like a rose in a hailstorm, but the young dragon quickly found sanctuary in staring at the ground, and running his tail nervously through his claws.

Zecora met Shining Armor's gaze with a reflection of his own anger. How dare he present one as young and innocent as Spike with a countenance befitting a monster? The zebra's eyes flashed dangerously at Shining Armor, warning him to cease his questionable actions, but her warning went on unheeded, for Shining Armor's eyes seemed to only grow colder. Princess Cadence's anxious eyes were full of apprehension, as they traversed from one occupant of the office to the other. The pink Alicorn, more than anything, longed for the tense silence of the unspoken altercation to end. As if reading her very thoughts, princess Celestia began.

"You two," she started, casting her gaze at both Spike and Zecora in turn. "much like Shining Armor and Cadence, want to know why Twilight Sparkles and her friends were chosen to be the candidates for the Everfree Forest sector this year." The princess's tone was calm, level, and unfaltering. One might even say she spoke out of boredom of mundane matters. Zecora nodded in response.

"Yes princess." said Spike suddenly, standing on his chair. "I want to know why you chose you're most faithful…" Spike was cut off by a wave of Celestia's hoof, and a stern look in her violet eyes. Spike immediately sat back down and resumed twiddling his tail. The princess let her stare linger on the dragon's tiny, trembling form before continuing.

"I assure you Spike; I have nothing to do with who is chosen to take part in the ritual."

"Of course not." mumbled Shining Armor sarcastically, and in a volume that suggested the owner of the voice didn't care whether or not they were overheard. If the pale alicorn had heard, she decided to ignore the comment.

"But princess, surely you know why they were chosen." said Zecora suddenly. The monarch shrugged, her porcelain mask betraying little to no emotion.

"I can only guess as to why Twilight and her friends were _specifically_ chosen. To try to understand motivations such as his would cause a lesser pony to go stark raving mad. As for myself, it causes an incapacitating migraine. But perhaps it would be easier for me to go over my story with you all. You can hold your interrogations until the end, though I am confident I will satisfy most, if not all of your curiosities."

* * *

The single most gracious thing in existence, I think, is the corporeal mind's inability to perceive the universe accurately, or as a whole. Mortals live in a docile land of milk and honey, amidst swelling oceans of logical anomalies and irregularities. The many different advancements of pony kind have, thus far, proved to be harmless endeavors, and in the grand scheme of things, you have all achieved very little. It is my will that you should not stray far from the blissful, green pastures I have laid at your hooves; but without my divine supervision, I fear you might one day uncover such ancient and terrifying secrets of the universe, and of your meaning therein, that you shall either succumb to delusional ravings of madness, or flee from the revealing luminosity of knowledge, into the sanctuary under the shadow of my wing.

At this point, I would have you all know that, to continue down this road may prove to be devastating to your very souls. To diverge from this path would serve you well. Your curiosity may starve, but your mind and spirit will go on unhindered. But I digress. I already know that you are eagerly, perhaps foolishly, intent on hearing my distressing and eldritch tale. Let it be known that you have been warned and let no pony say otherwise.

My first conscious thought was of the chilling numbness that dug its way straight through what I was to perceive as my body. This was likely among the first sensory details ever to grace the observations of the mind. Despite all efforts to usher the cold away, it stubbornly clung to my being, as if guided by some deep necessity for attachment. Without understanding of the notions of space or time, I was adrift in the infinite black dreams of the void, and no one, myself included, has even a vague comprehension as to how long I lay in the cruel, frigid clutches of some unseen behemoth.

My next thought was of a strange sort of firmness all around me. I perceived a stability that halted my progress through the subconscious highways of the void. It was as if the universe was awakening, though I'm not sure if it had ever truly slumbered. The crippling chill soon dissipated to be replaced with a warmness which at first was comforting, but soon became too much to bear. Thunderous noises suddenly blared out all around me, followed by a detonation of intense radiation and I found myself unable to tolerate the sensory assault.

Upon the first lifting of my "eyelids" (I use this term loosely for at that point in time I had no eyelids, nor eyes, nor corporeal form at all) I saw for the first time, a glimpse of infinity. Innumerable spheres of colorful light collected and rotated about undisclosed central hubs. Clouds of dust, featuring every color of the visible spectrum, and even unknown colors from the deepest recesses of tortured minds, were constantly gathering and dissipating, sometimes violently. The heat eventually gave way to the familiar coldness, though it lacked the previous formidability or clinginess of yesteryear. I soon found that these whirlpools of light and dust were subject to my will. They would rotate around their centers at a speed and direction that I dictated. As per my orders, the spheres of light would explode in a frenzy of radiation and light, only to be reborn from the ashes, much like the life cycle of a phoenix. This was my universe to control and I admittedly relished the thought. Suffice it to say that the universe is expansive. Within its ever expanding boundaries, there are innumerable galaxies; a portion of the night time sky, the size of a needle's eye, is likely to contain thousands of these swirling giants. And each of these whirlpools of plasma and gas houses millions and billions of heavenly bodies. And with the extensive amount of energy and matter contained within existence, the universe is still mostly empty space.

And yet, as formidable as the universe may seem, with its infinite borders and uncountable wonders, it is actually quite a delicate phenomenon. If a single ingredient in the recipe of the verse were absent, or even added out of _order_, all of the things aforementioned would not be so. To think it all an accident or mere coincidence would almost be as foolish as to make the claim of understanding it. And within this universe of ours, there is but one thing that holds it all together. It is a force stronger than gravity, more powerful than magic, and more binding than friendship. I speak of Order.

Order, the power that I command, is the reason the heavenly bodies move in a predictable, (predestined, if you will) path. It is the reason that Equestria has hitherto experienced unprecedented periods of peace and harmony. Indeed, it is the reason that you all are alive and able to freely discuss the matter with me. Everything we have can be attributed to the ever watchful eye of Order, and Order can be attributed to me. But alas, this Order comes with a price, for there is, admittedly, a power greater than Order. And this higher authority is Balance.

Everything exists through comparison. Would we know the joys of friendship were it not for the distress found in loneliness? Would we even notice as darkness creeps across the land, were it not for our previous knowledge of light? And I ask you all now, would you be reduced to sorrowful lamentations at the demise of another if you had never experienced the delights their life had to offer? This is Balance, the ultimate law of the universe. Yes, if it exists, there must also be a contrasting force of equal measure. As a means of enforcing this absolute law, the Great Balance created six elements, more commonly known today as the Elements of Harmony. They are the great levelers of the universe, and avatars of a higher will. The elements distribute balance and harmony to a universe teeming with inequality.

So, for countless eons I meticulously observed the rhythmic dance of the cosmos, occasionally tinkering with the clockwork as I saw fit. With the power of Order, and the Elements of Harmony at my side, a certain sort of perfection was achieved. And yet, as I traversed the infinite vistas of the verse, I came to find that my "absolute" rule did not go on unopposed. Like all aspects of the universe, I too, had a contrasting force of equal measure. Little in know of the archaic beast, though he claims to be every bit as old and powerful as me. This eldritch entity, spawned in the Great Balance alongside myself, had for countless millennia, lurked just beyond the gentle light of the stars. Biding his time like some ferocious predator, his presence went on unnoticed by the rest of the universe. His mortal given name is Discord, the malevolent spirit of Chaos and disharmony. If the cursed Draconequus were to ever usurp my dominion over the cosmos, Order would fall to Chaos, and disharmony would reign supreme, spelling disaster for us all. Galaxies would collide with one another, spinning irregularly out of control and heavenly bodies would stray from their predestined orbits. Black holes would manifest in the most inconvenient of places, and stars would fall from the sky like fiery rain. Cells would mutate and divide inconsistently, while atoms would unpredictably split apart in furious whirls of subatomic fervor.

Chaos, my little ponies, is the opposing force of Order. One cannot exist without the other, and they cannot reign supreme together. No harmony exists between them, their coexistence being that of water and oil. For over a thousand years I have mostly managed to keep Chaos at bay, but the great Balance of the universe has made it a rather daunting task that I find more difficult to accomplish with each passing year. In order to maintain my reign of Order, and simultaneously appease the Great Balance, I must, rather ironically, administer to the universe small doses of Chaos, or risk the Order, peace, and harmony that I have strived for since time immemorial. This is where the ritual sacrifice enters the foreground of my story. According to the agreement made all those years ago, upon the imprisonment of Discord, Order is to offer up tribute to Chaos in exchange for the tranquility and contentedness of the latter.

As it was written, there must always be six. The first must be a pony that is faithful and strong. They must be steadfast in their pursuit of honesty. The second must be a pony that enjoys having tons of fun. They must be willing and able to let laughter ring from the highest mountains to the deepest valleys. The third must be a pony with a beautiful heart. They must be generous in all of their dealings. The fourth must be a pony that shares kindness. They must spread kindness equally and without prejudice amongst all things. The fifth must be a pony that loves big adventure. They must command an unwavering loyalty and be devoted to their friends. And the last must be a pony that is well versed in magic, for magic makes it all complete.

Throughout the ceaseless march of time, I honored my arrangement with Chaos, and every single ritual was completed without incident. But soon Chaos became restless. It would insist that ridiculous stipulations be placed upon the requirements for fulfillment of the rituals, and I was obligated to comply with every one of the twisted demands. The specifications quickly became more elaborate, ranging from a certain order, in which the candidates must be eliminated, to the actual means of said elimination. Most recently, Chaos seemed content to select the method of sacrifice as well as the participants in this year's operation. Both those who shall be sacrificed and those who shall assist in the operation were handpicked by Discord himself. The reason behind his decisions, I cannot fathom, and indeed it would be quite the folly to even attempt such a daring feat. The sensible reason would be for some sort of revenge against Twilight and her friends, who were able to seal him away with the elements of harmony upon his last escape, but Chaos is a far cry from sensible. Regardless of the specifics, the simple truth of the matter is that, if any one of the element bearers lives to see the next sunrise, the entire world, nay, all of existence, shall be left to the mercy of Discord. All will be submerged in a flood of Chaos the likes of which, I fear, would obliterate the cosmos before the Great Balance could intervene.

* * *

When Celestia finished her strange tale, she sighed heavily, as if some immense burden had been lifted from her weary shoulders. The other occupants of the office regarded her with varying levels of fear, uncertainty, and even anger. Shining Armor's face still held a scowl of indignation, though it seemed that deep concentration and thoughtfulness were also present in his expression. The unicorn shifted in his seat uneasily as he gave careful consideration to the words of his princess. Cadence, though she was related to Celestia, had never before heard the tale that her "aunt" had just woven. She stared at Celestia fearfully, seeing her aunt for the first time in a light that was somewhat less than flattering. Spike's puffy, bloodshot eyes seemed to have expended their previously assumed, endless reservoir of tears. The dragon shed no more tears, though it certainly wasn't due to a lack of willingness. The true hopelessness of the situation was only beginning to sink in. There was no hope that he would ever be reunited with Twilight. Either the ritual would be completed upon Twilight's death, or the ritual would fail and Discord would engulf the world in his chaotic clutches. Zecora straitened up suddenly, a lighthearted and hopeful glint clearly advertised in her blue eyes.

"But there are many more ritual sacrifices happening all over Equestria, even as we speak. Surely if one of them were to succeed, we could put an end to the Everfree Forest sector's operation and…" exclaimed Zecora enthusiastically before she was interrupted.

"I'm afraid not Zecora. While it is true that there are other rituals being carried out, Chaos has dictated that the Everfree Forest sector must succeed regardless of the outcome of the other rituals. Additionally, Discord granted me no permission to cease the other operations." stated Princess Celestia, in a tone of disturbing tranquility and finiteness. Spike's downtrodden features had brightened at Zecora's words, but regressed at the start of Celestia's sentence.

"Now, that you all can better appreciate the seriousness of the situation, I suggest that you make your way to the central control room." said Celestia, raising a hoof and motioning towards the door. Shining Armor, immediately rose from his seat, a torrent of fury bursting out of his wildly popping eyes. His hooves slammed against Celestia's mahogany desk, cracking the wood beneath his powerful limbs.

"How can you remain as calm as you are, given the circumstances! Your most faithful student has effectively been sent to the gallows and you turn your head away in indifference!" Spat the stallion venomously, rage coursing violently through his veins. Celestia eyed the unicorn with a vague look of interest, as one might spare towards a passing butterfly.

"You must understand, Shining Armor, that I perceive time differently than you. Admittedly, like Starswirl the bearded, Twilight will hold a special place in my heart, but I have lived for unthinkable millennia, and have seen many 'faithful students' come and go." countered the ancient Alicorn without a moment's hesitation. The pale unicorn withdrew his hooves from the splintered craters they had fabricated upon impact. His countenance held the semblance of appalling disgust. Who was the monstrous creature before him, and what had it done with the sweet, loving, and caring Princess Celestia? Cadence attempted to put a comforting hoof on his shoulder but he swatted it away as one might swat at a fly.

"You think yourself righteous in all of your dealings, and yet, for all your 'benevolence' you have not an ounce of wisdom! Look at what your Equestria has become! Its unquestioned ruler, subjugated to the chaotic will of her ancient foe, and her citizens treated like expendable assets! You act in the name of Order, but have not the foresight to see that you are playing right into Discord's hand! What better way to spread Chaos than to have Order do it for him?! Don't you understand that…"

Shining Armor's verbal assault was cut off in the very same instant that air was denied access to his lungs. The stallion put a hoof to his throat, unable to comprehend why oxygen was unable to enter his being. Though, upon the meeting of his icy blue eyes and Celestia's distressingly calm and empty eyes, he was made aware of a strange light that had firmly encased his entire neck. A small smile graced the Alicorn's muzzle, shattering her porcelain mask. Shining Armor faintly recalled that same smile appearing on her face when she murdered the three Apple siblings.

"I think, Captain, that you misunderstood my intent when I agreed to explain the situation to you." said Celestia calmly, starting into Shining Armor's eyes with a hollow gaze, and a contrasting grin that seemed to be widening. Shining Armor began to cough and sputter in desperation, his eyes widening, as if they were ready to pop out of their respective sockets. Cadence was at his side, a worried expression spread across her face. Spike and Zecora drew back in fear at the malicious glowing of Celestia's horn that seemed to intensify as the precious seconds ticked away. The minor detail that the ethereal glow around Shining Armor's neck was oddly, if not disturbingly, the exact same color as the magical aura surrounding Celestia's horn, had not gone on unnoticed or unappreciated by anyone in the room.

"I am not trying to convince you that my ways are just and virtuous. No, of this you should already be aware. What I am doing, is commanding you to obey me unquestioningly. As you have failed to do so, your life would normally have been forfeit, but Chaos desires that you bear witness. So I'll let you live…" The magical aura that had surrounded Shining Armor's neckline subsided into nothingness, and the stallion fell to the floor in a panic stricken heap, taking in several enthusiastic gulps of air.

"…for now." she finished dryly.


End file.
